


Beast Of Shadows

by Tibbykat2001



Category: One Piece
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Attempted Murder, Awkward Roronoa Zoro, Badass Roronoa Zoro, Bisexual Vinsmoke Sanji, Blood and Gore, Bottom Vinsmoke Sanji, Child Vinsmoke Sanji, Demon Deals, Demon Roronoa Zoro, Demon Summoning, Demon/Human Relationships, Eventual Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Vinsmoke Sanji, Protective Roronoa Zoro, Romance, Roronoa Zoro Being an Asshole, Roronoa Zoro and Vinsmoke Sanji Bickering, Slow Burn, Top Roronoa Zoro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2019-09-02 12:32:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 31,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16787020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tibbykat2001/pseuds/Tibbykat2001
Summary: Sanji has always been interested in only three things: cooking, women, and the supernatural.Ever since a chance encounter with a demon as a child, the unexplainable has become sort of a secret obsession for the chef. His two closest friends, Braxton and his beautiful wife Jazzy, don't share his passion and complain that he doesn't get out enough. So, to get them off his back, he signs up for a dating website that proceeds to give him more than he bargained for.Disclaimer: I don't own any of the One Piece characters, I will just be borrowing them to write this fanfic!





	1. Prologue

A small blond-haired child sprinted through the woods, panting heavily as taunts followed after him. He was being chased by Tommy and his gang yet again, he already had a few scratches and bruises from their abuse. He ignored the pain the best he could, focusing on getting away.

"Sanji! You can't run forever!" Tommy called, his friends howling with laughter as they ran through the forest. He knew these woods well enough to mentally map out an escape route, if he could only make it to the orphanage...

"There he is!" A voice yelled, the blonde's eyes widened and he pushed his legs faster. _Faster_.

"Where do you think your going!?" They were gaining, he could hear them getting closer. A shout rang out and Sanji stumbled, that was an _adults_ voice. He ducked to the right, following the sound. If he could find the source of that voice, Tommy would surely leave him alone.

He shoved through some bushes just as a hand gripped onto the back of his shirt, he and Tommy tumbled into the small clearing. Sanji struggled to get out of the other boy's harsh grip, Tommy wrapped his hands around the blonde's neck and squeezed as Sanji thrashed.

"Oi." Their attention snapped up to the figure that towered above them. He held a whimpering man with horns sticking out of his head in one hand, in the other was the chunk of horn missing from the trembling man's temple.

"Scram." The man sneered, he leaned down, giving both kids a clear view of him. Green hair is what caught Sanji's gaze first, the sharp claws that replaced fingernails gained the blonde's attention next. The man's red eyes had an unearthly glow, his pupils a thin slit, reminding Sanji of a cat. His lip twitched and Sanji caught a glimpse of a large canine, the three gold earrings in his left ear slightly clinking against each other with the breeze. He wore green-tinted black pants that tucked into his black boots, a neon green hamarki around his waist with a white shirt covering his muscled chest.

"I said get lost." Tommy's weight was gone before the man even got through his sentence, the boy hauling-ass back into the woods to get away from the stranger. Sanji sat up slowly, gingerly rubbing his neck. The man looked less angry now, the rage in his eyes simmering down to a more mildly irritated expression.

"M-My Lord, you must-" The horn-man was cut off with a choke as the man's hand tightened around his neck.

"I don't have to do _anything_. My contract still holds." The man snarled, tossing the coughing horn-man onto the grass. Sanji made a strangled noise at the pathetic sight. The man's gaze flickered to the blond, his eyes narrowing in aggravation.

"You're still here." He stated, looking _anything_ but friendly, Sanji's knees locked up and he just stared.

The man had _wings_.

They shuddered on his back, resembling a bat's wings. They looked soft to the touch, the deep black color seemed inviting to Sanji's fingers. A grin broke out on the six-year-olds face, his sea blue eyes glittering with wonder. The man seemed to startle, taking a step back from the blond; scrunching his brow at the lack of terrified screaming.

"What's your name, human?" The man demanded, Sanji being oh-so-happy to oblige.

"Sanji." The blond answered, pushing up to his unsteady feet.

"Roronoa, you shouldn't be speaking to such filth!" The man, Roranoa? Rorona? Sanji decided to shorten it to _RoRo_. He looked pissed, stomping a foot onto the horn-man's chest to pin him down.

"The only filth I see here is _you_." RoRo growled, turning his attention back to Sanji after a moment.

"It's time for you to go home." RoRo stated ominously, Sanji nodded as he peered around for something familiar. He found he recognized nothing, his eyes burned as he blinked up at RoRo miserably. Who eyed Sanji for a second longer before he sighed, stepping closer to the boy.

"You have no idea where you are, do you?" The teary-eyed blond nodded vigorously in agreement, RoRo made a face but awkwardly scooped the child up. He was oddly careful not to scratch the child with his sharp claws.

"W-wait! Your highness! What are you doing!?" The horn-man called, struggling to stand.

"No idea..." RoRo grumbled, launching them both into the air with a powerful stroke of his wings. Sanji squealed in delight as they soared up into the sky, RoRo's wings occasionally pumping to keep them high above the treetops.

" _Amazing_..." Sanji breathed, arms comfortably wrapped around RoRo's tan neck, he peered down as the forest thinned and houses started popping up.

"Where do you live?" RoRo questioned, Sanji's heart clenched but he pushed the negative feeling away.

"The orphanage." He whispered, avoiding eye contact. RoRo said nothing, flying on. After a few minutes Sanji saw the large church he lived at, they passed it and the blond scrunched his brow in confusion.

"Uh...mister, you passed it." RoRo made an angry noise but turned with a quick tilt of his wings, shooting down toward the roof. His feet landed with a thud and he started running toward the edge, adrenilane pumped through Sanji's veins and they neared the end of the shingles.

The blond peeked up at RoRo, he wore a disturbing smirk on his face, but he seemed to be really happy. Two steps later, RoRo lunged off the ledge. Sanji screaming as they plummeted from the impressive height, a chuckle bubbling up from RoRo's chest. They were only meters from certain death when he snapped his wings out and they jerked backward, RoRo calmly landing feet-first onto the gravel. The winged man set Sanji down, stepping away to observe the panting child with those glowing eyes.

"What are you?" The boy blurted and RoRo scoffed, crossing his arms with his usual scowl marring his features.

"I'm a demon, brat." The blond blinked dumbly as the devil turned his back to the boy. Sanji opened his mouth to say something. To thank him, but RoRo was already taking off into the sky, the powerful breeze that accompanied his massive wings drowning out his mumbled gratitude. The backlash of the wind whipping the blonde's locks around wildly, something heavy settled in Sanji's gut as RoRo flew further and further away.

The church door creaked open and a Nun's head poked out, she gasped when she noticed the child. His head was tilted up to look at the sky, watching the clouds roll by. There was a spark in his eyes that the Nun hadn't seen since he was brought in from the streets.

"Sanji! We were wondering when you'd return." She rushed out to herd the boy inside for dinner, the setting sun reminding the blond of those crimson eyes.

*

Sanji skipped into the woods the very next day, after school was over. He had two pre-packed lunches in his grasp as he trudged along, he was looking for the demon from yesterday. Sanji wanted to thank him for unintentionally saving him from Tommy...and for the exciting fly home.

"Mister demon?" The boy called out, walking in a random direction in hope of stumbling into the clearing again. Some bushes rustled to his left and Sanji perked up, his face falling when a sickly pale stranger stepped out in front of him, blocking his way.

"And _what_ do we have here? What's a kid like you doing in the woods all alone?" Sanji scrunched his nose at the dark-eyed stranger, he had to remember to use his manners.

"I'm looking for someone." He responded, taking a step to the side only for the pale man to copy him.

"Oh? And who is it that you're looking for?" The stranger hummed, a grin showing off sharp fangs as he took a step toward the blond child.

" _Me_." RoRo's voice snarled, hands adorned with sharp claws snapping out to grip the strangers shoulders from behind.

"There you are RoRo!" Everything seemed to freeze and the temperature plummeted, a green head of hair shifting to send Sanji a fierce glare from over the stranger's left shoulder.

" _What_...did you just call me?" He grit, his jaw working as a tic-mark throbbed on his forehead. The stranger just looked confused, holding his hands up in surrender.

"RoRo? I couldn't say your name, so I shortened it." Sanji shrugged, his curious eyes moving over to the fanged stranger.

"Who's he?" The blond asked and RoRo made a snorting noise, tightening his grip on the man.

"No need. He's leaving." The man's eyes widened before narrowing in anger.

"Uh...RoRo-" Before Sanji could finish his warning, the stranger slapped the demon's hands off his person and swiveled to face RoRo in a livid rage.

"Just who do you think you are- _oh shit_." The stranger froze when he finally got a good look at RoRo's face, his own expression pinching with fear.

"Who am _I_ -" RoRo snapped his jaw shut as his eyes flickered to a curious Sanji. He growled to himself and shoved the pale man to the side. "Beat it while I feel like showing mercy." The stranger bowed a bunch of times while alternating between asking for forgiveness and thanking him before sprinting away faster than humanly possible. RoRo turned to Sanji with his brows furrowed with irritation.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking!? That was a _vampire!_ If I hadn't been in the area already..." He saw the blonde's smile falter and pressed his lips together, his blood red eyes catching sight of the two bags the child held.

"What's that?" He sighed, watching as Sanji's eyes lit up, the brat thrusting a bag toward him with a smile that could rival the sun itself with its brightness.

"I brought it as thanks for yesterday!" Sanji waved it when RoRo just regarded the brown paper bag with suspicion.

"What's in it?" He demanded, squatting down to sniff at the bag as Sanji giggled.

"A ham and cheese sandwich, an apple, and a grape juice box." The child explained eagerly, RoRo hesitated for a second longer before gently accepting the bag from the child. He flopped down onto the grass, opening it to pull out the sandwich. It was wrapped and smelt of roasted ham, butter, and mustard.

"It's acceptable." He mumbled to the child as he pulled it out of its wrap to bite into it, flavors exploded on his tongue and his face lightened. How did one make two slices of bread and some meat taste so _good?_

RoRo inhaled the meal, slurping on the juice and saving the apple for last. Sanji ate slower, savoring his own ham sandwich as he chomped on carrots. RoRo stayed seated with a thinking face until Sanji was done. When Sanji stood, so did RoRo. The kid took the garbage and stuffed it into his book-bag to throw away properly later. The blond turned and started to skip away, proud that he knew the way back this time.

"Wait, I'm obligated by demon law to give you something in return." Sanji paused, turning to look back at the demon with confused eyes.

"But I brought you dinner because of yesterday, so why would you give me something for that?" RoRo's mouth twitched into what Sanji could believe was a split-second smile before his expression settled back into a scowl.

"That was different. You gave me food, therefore I have to give _you_ something of equal value. My pride as a warrior will accept nothing less." He dug around in his pockets until he pulled out a small golden bell with strange symbols engraved on it. He shook it and beautiful ringing echoed through the woods, the demon held out his free hand. RoRo expected Sanji to take it, so he did.

The demon placed the bell onto Sanji's palm, kneeling down to the child's height. He let his red eyes close and the wind shifted, swirling around the two as RoRo spoke in a clipped language that Sanji couldn't understand. The blond knew it was over when he felt a strange tingling sensation in his hand, seeping into his skin from where the bell sat. RoRo let his hand drop from Sanji's, rising to his towering height to peer off into the distance. The boy carefully picked up the bell, shaking it lightly himself. Sanji was quickly confused and insulted that it didn't ring for him too.

"What did you say?" Sanji asked, turning it about in his grasp. RoRo blinked, peering down at the child with a seriousness that Sanji found sobering.

"You'll know when you need to, just keep it with you at all times. I have to go now, stay out of the woods. I won't be coming here anymore...got it brat?" Sanji nodded, biting his lip as his eyes burned with the need to shed tears. RoRo was so kind to him, even without knowing him and being a...well, _demon_. If RoRo asked him to stay out of the forest, he would.

The demon reached a hand up to run through Sanji's blond locks, the kid's sea-blue pools involuntarily slipped shut and he leaned into the gentle touch. After a brief moment, the pressure was gone and Sanji opened his eyes to find he was alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter is finished! Let me explain a few things. Zoro is how he looks before the time skip, but when they meet again he'll look like he does post time-skip and so will Sanji (which would make them both 21). Thanks for taking the time to read this! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji takes a (forced) vacation away from the Baratie so he decided to go see a good friend during his free time.
> 
> Also, something strange happens involving the bell he wears around his neck.

Sanji swirled out of the kitchen with a platter of food, delivering it to the assigned table. He had been at work for over nine hours already, the sun beginning to set on the restaurant.

"Oi Eggplant, your shift was over an hour ago. Go home." Zeff groused as the blond whirled back into the kitchen.

"You should be thanking me old fart." Sanji snapped, crossing his arms like a child. Zeff eyed the 21-year-old man with a scowl.

"You're always here, don't you have anything else to do?" The elder chef asked gruffly, a flash of concern in his dark gaze.

"Nope. Now if you'll excuse me..." Sanji drawled, moving to step past Zeff, who wasn't having it.

"I don't think so. You're taking a few days off Eggplant." The old man snorted, herding the blond further toward the back.

"What about the restaurant?" Sanji dug his heels into the ground hesitantly, Zeff snorted and continued pushing him along.

"We'll survive without you." He quipped, shoving Sanji out into the back alley. Zeff took Sanji's jacket off the nearby hook and tossed it at the blond.

"But-"

"Come in tomorrow and I'll send you to the hospital, goodnight Eggplant." With that, Zeff slammed the door with a resounding bang. Sanji turned toward the mouth of the alley with a dumbfounded expression, numbly making his way out and toward home. Few people passed him, mostly couples due to it being a Friday night.

Loneliness washed over him as they walked by with joyful smiles and lovesick eyes. The soft sound of chiming bells and two crimson pools pushing to the front of his mind as he marched along. He absentmindedly raised a hand to tug on the small chain around his neck, pulling it free from his suit collar to peer at the silent bell. He shook the chain and the gold bell moved, but no ringing, or _any_ sound for that matter, came from it.

With a sigh at it's usual silence, he tucked it back in and stuffed his hands into his pockets. The blond kicked a stray rock, turning onto his street and digging his keys out of his jacket as he jogged up the steps. He unlocked the door as his phone chimed, walking in as he patted his pockets down for the electronic. Sanji pranced up the stairs to the second floor as he tapped at his screen.

It was a dating site that his two closest friends pushed him to download, a girl named Heather had apparently matched with him and had texted a greeting. Giddiness pooled in his gut as he quickly unlocked his apartment door and shoved in, thumbs flying across his keyboard to reply. Just to make sure he didn't make any mistakes or sound too forward, he read it over three times before hitting send.

With that done, Sanji toed off his fancy shoes and meandered further into his home. Instinctively going into the kitchen to whip up a quick dinner. A chime brought his attention back to his phone, which sat innocently upon a nearby counter. He closed his nearly-empty fridge to snatch up the electronic, Heather had already responded to his text. He opened the chat and smiled, satisfied with her sweet reply. He typed out a more flirty comment about her profile info and sent it without thinking twice. His eyes turned back to the kitchen to pull out some cooking supplies.

Heather didn't text back until after he had already had a simple dinner consisting of a turkey melt. He was currently lounging on his couch, watching a cooking show while he mentally critiqued the chef moving about the colorful screen. She had said thanks and asked him about his cooking career, Sanji liked her boldness to start a topic to exchange texts about. It had him wondering what she was like in real life, he replied that he grew up cooking and waited.

After a few peaceful minutes of back-and-forth inquires, Sanji sent her a sweet 'goodnight' as he switched off his TV. The room plunged into darkness, but Sanji easily navigated to his room from years of practice. He flipped on his blinding room light and squinted, wasting no time before stripping to yank on a soft pair of sweatpants and a white, cotton T-shirt.

He quickly clicked off his light and settled into bed, his chain necklace rattling against the ever-silent bell. He shifted to plug his phone in and let it charge during the night, yawning sleepily as he flopped back against the pillows. Faded memories of green...grass? Hair? Played on repeat in his exhausted mind. He rolled onto his side, trying to focus on the fuzzy memories to no avail. He fidgeted with the bell until his eyes grew heavy, opting to just let it rest on his tingling palm. The familiar weight lulling the blond chef into a relaxed slumber.

*

Sanji was harshly jerked awake to his phone buzzing across his wooden nightstand. He growled, keeping his eyes closed as he blindly grabbed for the vibrating electronic. He let one of his eyes crack open to glare at the bright screen, he hit answer when his gaze focused on the caller ID.

"What?" He barked, an amused chuckle filtering through the receiver. Sanji's aggression never seemed to faze Braxton, even when he started violent brawls with vulgar men who spewed shit about the lovely ladies who worked at his usual bar. Braxton joined the fray more often than not, the two victoriously stumbling to Braxton's house so Jazzy could enthusiastically patch them up.

"Such hostility, I just heard from a little birdie that you're finally taking your vacation days. I figured we could go do something together?" Sanji huffed, head turning to glance at his clock, it was only about seven in the morning.

"How does breakfast sound?" Sanji sighed, hearing an excited whoop from his friend of five years.

"Great! We can finally try that bakery by my place! Meet me there at ten!" Braxton eagerly babbled, barely giving Sanji enough time to agree before abruptly hanging up. The chef sighed at his antics, Braxton could be pretty childish despite being nearly twenty-three years old.

He sat up with a jaw-creaking yawn, scratching his collar. His blunt fingernails scraping over his necklace as he threw his legs over the side of the bed to stand. He figured he would shower and get ready, maybe eat a small snack in case he didn't like what the bakery offered. He trudged to the bathroom and messed with the knobs to adjust the water temperature, stripping down to step under the warm spray.

*

He was out the door and on his way right on schedule, briskly marching down the sidewalk. It was only a ten minute walk to Braxton and Jazzy's house; he only took his car when it was winter, or when the place he was going to was too far away to walk. He turned a corner, staring down at his feet. He was going on automatic, using muscle memory to find his way to his friends house. The streets weren't too busy yet so he didn't worry much, thoughts drifting back to the strange dreams he'd been having as of late.

They were always about flying somewhere, he never got to the destination before waking up though. It puzzled him to no end, wherever could he be going? He was always holding onto something, or was it someone? He couldn't be sure because whatever (or whoever) he was with was neither hot nor cold. He could vividly remember how the wind brushed against his face and carded through his hair. He always jolted awake right when he got the urge to look up, it happened right as his head would begin to tilt back. He would just...wake up for no apparent reason, his adrenaline levels spiked and made his heart race with the thrill of being thousands of feet from the earth.

He stepped off the sidewalk and was ripped from his day-dreaming when he distinctly heard the bell around his neck jingle with the motion. An unseen force smashing onto his chest to shove him back onto the safety of the sidewalk just as a truck whipped past, the driver angrily honking his horn at the stunned blond. He was frozen, eyes wide with disbelief as he moved a trembling hand to gently grab the bell. He stared down at it as he hesitantly shook the gold object.

Silence.

Sanji exhaled, his heartbeat slowing as his fingers wrapped around the smooth bell. He sighed, deciding to let the strange incident go for now. He had a few similar occurrences, but they were small brushes of wind compared to the physical shove had he had just experienced. There had been nothing insinuating that there was something to do with his faded childhood memories until now, he could barely remember anything from before he was eight. Sometimes, when they were closing the Baratie for the day, the old geezer told him what he was as like a brat (as Zeff called him). Weaving tales about how the blond used to speak about a green-haired imaginary friend he had when he was living at the church. When Zeff would ask him for details about his friend, Sanji was always tight-lipped. Of course, the young chef couldn't recall any of those conversations. Sanji also had no clue where he got the bell from, but a gut feeling urged that he keep it close. He tried to leave it at home for a day and he had gotten two steps away from his apartment before a sense of crippling dread shot through him, so heavy it made his stomach churn.

He hasn't let it stray from his person since.

The traffic light flickered to red, announcing that it was safe for Sanji to cross. He trudged across the street, head reeling with possibilities and theories about what had went down not minutes earlier. He didn't have the slightest clue of what could have pushed him with such a great force. It was mystery he was determined to solve, he caught sight of the bakery and sucked in a steadying breath. He promised himself he would look into whatever happened later, he wouldn't let himself worry about it yet. He noticed Braxton sitting in a window seat, constantly moving with barely concealed excitement. Whether it be drinking from his coffee mug every five seconds, messing with sugar packets from the small container in front of him, or just outright bouncing his leg up and down like a jackhammer. 

Braxton ran a hand through his already messy chestnut brown curls, eyes flickering down to his watch as Sanji neared the small establishment. The chef gave Braxton a small wave when his emerald green pools locked onto the approaching blond, a huge grin that Sanji could mentally admit he missed stretching out onto his pale lips. Sanji opened the door, the jingle of a small bell announcing his entry. He immediately hurried to the table Braxton was seated at, knowing his friend would just start yelling greetings if he wasn't fast enough. The blond flopped down and Braxton went off like an explosion, word-vomiting at the exasperated chef. 

"So...did Zeff finally snap and toss your ass out?" Braxton grinned, knowing the answer just by how Sanji's face darkened.

"Shitty old man, I should show up just to spite him." The blond groused, crossing his arms and slumping down into his chair. Braxton waved his hands around wildly, a panicked look in his eyes.

"Nope. Bad idea, definitely don't do that!" Sanji rolled his eyes, but let the subject go. They both paused their chatter when a waitress came to their table, Sanji fawned over the girl. Ordering some camomile tea with a orange zest muffin. Braxton just ordered another black coffee and a slice of triple chocolate cake, much to Sanji's amusement.

"What?" Braxton whined when the waitress took their order and meandered away, Sanji raising a brow at his choice of breakfast.

"It's my cheat day!" He insisted, making Sanji burst into snorting laughter. Braxton pouted, grumbling come choice words about a certain chef being a terrible friend and such.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The official fist chapter of this new Zosan fanfic...wow. I really outta stop making new stories when I haven't even finished my recent ones. Oh well, I'll finish (or start) them eventually. Enjoy! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji narrowly avoids death by skateboard and finds out there's a lady in need!
> 
> And somehow ends up cooking for said strangers.

Breakfast was mostly uneventful, and the pastries turned out to be pretty good. Sanji was hugged by a dramatic Braxton, who proceeded to confess his undying love for the blond, before they parted ways. Sanji pulled his phone from his suit jacket when it chimed, informing the chef that Heather had texted a cheerful 'Good Morning' with a smiley face. Sanji responded with an equally enthusiastic greeting as he strut along; making his way back home to do whatever since he couldn't show his face around the Baratie. The last thing he wanted was to give the old fart incentive to kick the shit out of him.

He figured he could possibly go to his usual bar, maybe even ask Felicity if he could help out. He was fine with cooking or doing dishes, he just wanted to be doing something productive. So he changed directions to march to further into town to get to the Saxton Pub. He would beg Felicity for something to do if he had to, luck was on his side too because she crumbled like tissue paper when it came to Sanji.

The bar was only a three minute walk from where he was, making him vibrate with unused energy. He felt like he could clean the Baratie from top to fucking bottom. He mentally cursed the old man for forcing him out, wind brushed against his side and he shivered. He hugged his arms closer to himself as he moved further away from the street and closer to the buildings.

"Hey Mister! Look out!" There was that ringing sound again...Sanji paused mid-step, it was coming from the bell around his neck. He actually had time to brace himself as that massive gust of air shoved him against a nearby brick wall. A skateboard flew right by his head, missing by only mere inches. It hit the ground with a loud crack, someone crying out in distress at the sound. Sanji figured they should've been happy it wasn't his head that the board collided with.

"Idiot! I told you not to ride that while carrying stuff! This shit is important!" A voice hissed, a female voice. The blond pushed off the wall and dusted his suit jacket off, eyes moving to the two people a few feet away from him.

"I'm sorry about Luffy sir, he's an idiot." The first thing Sanji noticed was the woman's long orange hair, it flowed down just past her waist. The color was bright, like flames.

"Yup." The dark-haired boy casually standing next to her agreeing with the woman's insult. He had one hand on the straw hat atop his head, the other resting on his hip. A huge grin swallowed up the bottom half of his face, the chef wondered if it hurt to smile that much. Sanji recalled that the woman had called him Luffy earlier.

"I'm not hurt, so no harm done my love!" Sanji fawned, glowering at Luffy as the teen hurried past the chef to make sure his skateboard was in one piece.

"Oh? What a charmer, you'll do just fine." Sanji tilted his head to the side as a devilish grin curled onto her plump lips. She confidently strut toward him, grabbing him by his tie to roughly pull him down into a heated kiss. There was tongue and Sanji didn't even know what to do with himself for a second. The lip-to-lip contact felt...wrong. His mind got all hazy and he found it hard to form a coherent thought. It was as if a spell was being placed on him; but thankfully, the feeling went away after she pulled back.

"I'm Nami, what's your name?" He could distantly hear Luffy complaining about his broken board in the background as he answered.

"Sanji Red." She nodded, seemingly pleased with herself.

"Alright Sanji, help a girl out by grabbing those boxes. Just follow me." Sanji thought about the command for barely a moment before scrambling over to the small pile of cardboard boxes, picking up a few and hurrying back to Nami with a dopey smile. He had the day off after all, and what better way to spend it than to help out a beautiful woman?

As a gentleman, he couldn't possibly say no to a lady in need.

*

Nami and Luffy walked ahead of him, the blond noticing with unease that they were leading him into the more sketchy part of town. They didn't seem nearly as nervous as him though, Nami was busy chiding a laughing Luffy about being more careful with deliveries and such. Sanji curiously peered around as the scolding continued, the sun was high in the sky so he guessed it was proabably around noon or so.

As they marched along, Sanji noticed less and less people were on the street. Pretty soon it was only them who were in plain sight; most of the other people he saw were lingering in smaller alleyways, smoking god-knows-what. He pressed his lips together and debated speaking up, maybe asking a few questions about where they were going...

"Finally! We're five minutes late too, Franky's not gonna be happy." Nami scowled, Sanji shifting the boxes so he could see around them. His jaw dropping when he saw the beautifully structured bar in front of him. It was colorful, an orange and yellow lion head protruding from the building over the glass double doors. The place itself was made of wood, the inside quite the same. Wooden tables and chairs were scattered about with no apparent rhyme or reason when he followed Nami inside.

There was a large bar on the other side of the room, directly across from the entrance. A teen with long curly hair and a long nose was standing on the other side of the bar, looking bored out of his mind. He had on some brown overalls that looked oddly good on him, he wasn't wearing an undershirt either. Long nose looked up when the doors open and his dark eyes sparkled when he spotted Luffy.

"Luffy! You're back! What took you guys so long?" He jumped over the counter to fist-bump Luffy, each of them throwing an arm over the other's shoulder like they were best buds.

"Can it Usopp, Luffy caused a scene and I had to take care of it." Long nose squeaked and hid behind Luffy when Nami's fists clenched. He peeked over his friends shoulder, gaze coming to a screeching halt on Sanji.

"Y-you brought s-someone _here!"_ Usopp shrieked, eyes bugging out of his head. Sanji honestly didn't see what the big deal was, Nami had asked him to help.

"It's fine, I told you I took care of it." Nami's tone implied that she was rolling her eyes, her hip jutting out as her arms crossed over her generous chest.

"He looks too lucid, are you sure it worked?" The blond swivled, he hadn't even noticed the other lady. She was in a corner seat, sipping at a mug of coffee. Her indigo eyes had an amused twinkle as she slowly looked the blond over, smiling in a way that sent shivers down your spine.

"Oh course I did-" Nami grabbed Sanji's chin, pulling his head to stare right into the ginger's eyes.

"Shit...but how is that even possible?" She cursed, running a hand through her hair. Usopp bursting into a tangent about how non-customers weren't supposed to be allowed in and whatever else.

"Well what do we do now?" Luffy quipped, making Usopp quiet as he lapsed into thought.

"Well, he followed you both here willingly. Did he not?" Nami and Luffy both nodded at the dark-haired woman's inquiry, quietly waiting for her point.

"It means he could be useful." She stood from her seat gracefully, calmly waltzing up to Sanji with measured steps. Luffy peered at him up and down, his face turning a worrying shade of red.

"What is your profession?" The woman asked, she had on a tight black cocktail dress. Her heels making her almost a full inch taller than him, it was intimidating to say the least.

"I'm a chef ma'am." Sanji responded, holding eye-contact with her until Luffy spoke up.

"Perfect! He'll be our new cook!" The Strawhat boy snickered, wincing when Nami punched his head.

"What's wrong with my cooking you dumbass!?" She seethed, looking as glorious as ever in her rage.

"Uh...do I get a say in this?" All eyes turned to him, the blond shifting the boxes nervously. There was something off about them, about this whole situation.

"Of course. We pay well and we are very flexible about working hours." Robin informed, backing away to give the thankful blond some thinking room.

"How much is well?" He hesitantly asked, Robin chuckled as Nami's eyebrow twitched.

"Depends on how good your food is!" Luffy exclaimed, bouncing up and down with excitement.

"You...want me to cook? Right now?" Sanji pressed, brows scrunching.

"Consider it your interview." Robin shrugged, the action looking incredibly graceful.

"Okay. I'll do it." Sanji nodded slowly, thinking about what he could make that was simple yet flavorful.

"I want meat!" Luffy jumped around, drool leaking from his mouth.

"Yeah, sure." The blond perked up as an idea hit him, he turned to Nami with a fire in his eyes.

"I'm allowed to use anything, yes?" Nami blinked, taken back by the burning determination in his gaze.

"Uh-huh." Was all she managed to get out as a smile that could rival Luffy's made his entire face brighten. He nodded to himself and grabbed Luffy to lead the way to the kitchen

*

Nami stared down at her plate with wide eyes. Luffy was already on his fifth and counting, constantly throwing compliments and demands for more at the rapidly moving chef. He was actually keeping up with the black hole known as Luffy, which was a feat all on its own.

She hesitantly reached out to pick the item up, hands trembling as she did so. It was a simple toasted ham and cheese sandwich, the meat smelt sweet with a hit of spice. Mayo and mustard smeared on each slice of bread, she took a bite with more calm that she felt. The taste burst onto her tongue and she made a surprised noise, Sanji was in front of her within seconds.

"Is there something wrong with it?" He asked, something like worry flashing in his gaze. She didn't know why she was so quick to shake her head, to assure him it was indeed delicious.

Maybe it was because all she could think about was how a certain swordsman spoke about a brave (but stupid) child who prepared the exact same thing years before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to re-write this chapter at least three times, it just didn't want to be written! I figured it out though, tell me what you guys think so far! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji investigates the strange bell and is not happy with what he finds.

"You're hired! Nami! Give him thirty dollars-an-hour!" Sanji blinked as Nami immediately began to screech into the boy's ear. He was too busy stuffing his face with Sanji's food to listen to her complaining, Usopp joining in to make even more noise when Luffy stole his sandwich to stuff down his throat.

"Stop whining, there's plenty more." Sanji growled, brandishing the spatula he held at the two boys in a threatening manner. Luffy laughed it off as Usopp ducked down to hide behind the bar like the coward he was. Not that the blond wasn't intimidating in the first place, there was definitely something about him that screamed 'dangerous.' Nami just did know what, there was this...aura around him. It felt familiar and just added to her curiosity about the chef.

"You do understand why the spell didn't work, right?" Nami turned to Robin, who was smiling at her in that usual unnerving way. She couldn't understand how Franky could stand it, she was so sinister sometimes.

"Care to explain then?" Nami placed her elbow on the table, chin resting on her palm. She hadn't been home in so long that the memories of the rules had grown fuzzy.

"He already has a contract." Nami's jaw would have dropped open if not for her hand keeping it shut.

"H-huh!?" She spluttered, eyes flickering from Robin to Sanji as he scurried around to continue feeding Luffy.

"But where's his-ya know?" Nami gestured a hand at the blond for emphasis. Robin shrugged, a calm and knowing grin on her lips.

"Who knows..." Robin trailed off as Sanji twirled over to them, placing to very fruity drink down before the girls.

"For my two lovely flowers!" He swooned before basically skipping back to the kitchen with hearts trailing behind him, Nami found it pretty comical.

"Do you know who he initiated the contract with?" Nami frowned, a tad jealous that she didn't get to the blond first. Robin shrugged in a way that told Nami the woman was just unwilling to give up the information. Robin seemed to have a knack for thinking of things as some sort of game, usually to entertain herself.

"Fine, don't tell me. They'll have to show up sooner or later." Nami glanced down at her unused fork with calculating eyes. With a quick movement, she had plucked up the utensil and hurled it at the chef's back.

Sanji unexpectedly tensed up, the unnatural aura around him flaring up. The fury that exploded from the powerful presence sent ice down Nami's back. It was a clear warning of _'don't do that again'_ without even using words. Thankfully, blond abruptly stumbled out of the way, almost as if he was shoved by someone they couldn't see.

The fork flew right past him and clattered onto the floor, the aura dying down as fast as it had burst. Sanji stepped over to the fallen tool, bending down to pick it up. Turning to look over his shoulder, his blue eyes narrowing. His gaze sending an icy glare Luffy and Usopp's way. Nami bristled from the dark look, uneasy even though it wasn't directed at her.

"Whatever that blond has wrapped around his finger...I never want to meet it." Nami swallowed thickly as Sanji stomped up to Luffy, stabbing the teen's forehead with a nimble finger that he obviously wished was the fork clenched in his grip; hissing about how he was going to let Luffy and Usopp starve for trying to murder him, Luffy argued back of course. Nami knew that there was little that Luffy loved more than food.

"I regret to inform you that we will be crossing paths with Cook-san's contract-bound sooner or later." Robin stated ominously, finishing the rest of her drink before standing to take the empty glass to the sink. Nami pressed her lips together, eyeing Sanji with wariness. The chef was much more dangerous than she had first anticipated, she figured it was wise if she stayed on Sanji's good side.

*

"You'll work weekdays only, from six in the morning to about three in the afternoon. If you ever need to get off early or take a day off just let me or Robin know. Don't tell the boys, they'll forget to pass on the information." Sanji nodded along to what Nami said, he liked the hours since he wouldn't have to be walking home in the dark. It wasn't safe at night here, bad things happened and people went missing.

"I understand, I'll start first thing tomorrow!" The chef was vibrating with joy, delighted that he would be able to earn some pocket money and do what he did best.

"Alright, we officially open at around seven and we have a few regulars. Try not to interact too much, leave the order taking to Usopp, Brook, and Chopper. You'll meet everyone tomorrow." Sanji thought the no-contact thing was a bit strange but agreed anyway, Nami knew what she was doing.

"Oh, and keep Luffy out of the fridge please? That would be a huge help on our bill." Her eyes looked up at Sanji hopefully, hands clasped together to give her the full damsel-in-distress vibe.

"You can count on me Nami-swan!" Sanji dropped down on one knee, placing a soft kiss on the back of her hand before rushing to say a heartfelt goodbye to Robin. The dark-haired woman bid him an amused 'Goodnight' and he was off toward home, giddy for tomorrow. The sun was just beginning to set as he finally pulled out his phone to check his notifications. His smile drooped a bit when he realized he had missed a few texts from Heather. He was quick to read them over, sending her an explanation and apology in reply.

She responded only a minute or so later, assuring him that it was alright. They chatted as Sanji walked home, the color of the sunset making hazy flashes of a crimson gaze interrupt his thoughts. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it, rubbing his tired eyes. As eager as he was, it had still been a very long and confusing day for him. He just wanted to shower and sleep until he had to get up for work.

*

By the time he shut his apartment door, it was already pretty dark out. He slipped out of his shoes and loosened his tie, his jacket was the first thing that came off. He stripped down entirely when he got to his room, pulling on baggy but comfortable pajama pants and another cotton shirt. He snatched up his laptop before sitting down on his bed, logging in and going straight to the internet icon.

**Silent bell that only makes noise when I'm in danger-**

He stopped typing with a huff, erasing the words to try again.

** Bells with strange demon symbols- **

Sanji hit the back button, he didn't think that was the right question to ask. How did he even know it was a demon in the first place?

** Can spirits attach themselves to metal objects? **

He read it once more before hitting enter, eyes rapidly flickering over the sites with available information. He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat at what he had found.

_**Can Demons attach themselves to inanimate/non-living objects?** _

_**Answer:** _ _There is no biblical support to the idea that demons can attach themselves to physical objects. The Bible records account of demons afflicting or possessing unbelieving people. But there are no account of demons being in or attached to objects, and the Bible does not warn us about demons attaching themselves to objects._

Sanji breathed out in relief, exiting out of the helpful site to click on another one at random.

_**Deals and Pacts** _

_A deal is a formal agreement, usually one made between a human and a supernatural entity. It requires consent from both parties. There are no restrictions on who can make a deal; even children can make them. The reasons for making a deal vary. For example, a deal may allow a human to gain or achieve something not possible by natural means. To complete a deal, something of significant value must be exchanged. The two most common options are a human life or a human soul._

The chef blinked, re-reading the information at least four times in disbelief. He rubbed his temple, trying to calm himself down and rationalize what was happening to him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to recall something- _anything_ about his so called 'imaginary friend.'

His breathing picked up with anxiety, what if all his success as a chef came from a deal he had stupidly made as a child? What if the demon was just keeping him from dying so it could come kill him itself? Sanji's stomach flipped and a small jingle had the blond freezing in terror. His eyes shifting down to the bell around his neck ever so slowly. He flicked the side and there was that soft ring again, his heart must've just about stopped in his chest.

His face contorted with rage as he pulled the chain up over his head, letting the golden curse rest on his tingling palm. He sneered down at the carvings on the band wrapped around the middle. This thing may have been the cause of all his hard work, he could actually be a horrible chef and the deal just made him a prodigy. It was just waiting to kill him, to take the soul from his body and drag it to hell, or do whatever demons did with souls.

" _No_. If I'm going to bite the dust, I'm going to do it on my own terms." Sanji snarled, chucking the thing across the room. It chimed when it hit the wall and weakly jingled as it fell onto the carpet. He stared at it for a few minutes, just to make sure a demon wasn't going to crawl out of it.

It was still there after a long staring contest that made his eyes hurt, so he sighed and shut down his laptop. His hands trembling and his breath not quite steady as he tucked his laptop back into his nightstand, flopping back onto the bed. Something rolled from the edge of his pillow to tap against his temple, he reached up and grabbed the circular item.

His eyes went wide and snapped over to the empty spot where the bell once sat. With a scream lodged in his throat, he lifted the object into his line of sight. The shiny bell softly jingling as Sanji's hands violently shook. His suspicions and fears both confirmed, as far as he was concerned...

He was cursed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Sanji...If only you could remember. I'd honestly freak out too if I found out the thing that I had since forever might have been given to me by a demon. Ugh, poor Sanji just isn't gonna catch a break (I'll make sure of that). As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji learns the hard way that the bell will not be left behind.

Sanji didn't get any sleep that night, he stayed up in his living room with all his lights on. He had prepared a shit-ton of coffee and sat down on the couch placing the golden bell out onto the coffee table in front of him. He had stared at it all night, sketching the symbols on the bell onto a sheet of paper. He'd have to visit a church, or look up a person who was a professional in the field of the supernatural.

When four o'clock eventually rolled around, Sanji managed to drag himself off the couch to get ready for the day. He showered and wiggled into a suit, fixing his hair to look less anxious then he felt. He made sure the stupid bell was still on the coffee table when he pulled on his shoes, snatching his keys and jacket before hurrying out of his apartment. He didn't want the bell's protection, not if it ment he would have to give his soul in return.

Just like last time, he only got to the stairs before a feeling worse than panic hit him like a tsunami. It was an emotion closer to hysterics, making his stomach churn and his hands shake. Sanji grit his teeth, a spark of anger giving way to a burning wave that smothered the fear long enough for him to sprint down the stairs and out the door. The fresh air did miracles on his muddled brain, his frantic thoughts slowing with each breath he took.

After a moment or so, he stuffed the strange anxiety into the back of his mind and went on his way. He stomped along, refusing to let the stupid curse rule his life. He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice the gloved hand that shot out of the alley he was walking past, the finger digging into the collar of his shirt to forcefully yank him into the secluded area.

His back hit the brick wall and a knife was pressed against his throat, Sanji blinked down at the nameless thug in shock and thinly veiled annoyance. The guy holding him hostage was twitching and it was painfully obvious he was high on something. Leave it to the universe to shit on him the _one_ fucking day he doesn't have his bell.

Yup...cursed.

Sanji would've kicked him all the way to next Tuesday, but he was more concerned about the guys spasming muscles. If Sanji shifted even in inch, the idiot would surely slash his pale skin open. It was a terrifying thought, that there was a serious chance that he could be killed. Right here, in this damp and gray alley away from prying eyes by a druggie.

"G-Gimme your valu-bles!" The man hissed, his voice nasally from being sick (or snorting something). When Sanji didn't immediately comply, the man pushed the blade down harder. That sharp sting against his neck made his leg jerk a bit, wanting to nail this bastard in the head-

A soft jingle perked the chef's ear.

The sound was awfully familiar and Sanji's jaw dropped when the golden bell shot out of literally _nowhere_ to smash against the guys skull with a gut-wrenching crack. The bell ricorched off the guy's temple as he tipped sideways, either dead or unconscious. Sanji hoped for the latter as he instictivly cupped his hands together to catch the undamaged golden object of his despair.

Sanji stared down at it in with wide eyes, looking around for someone- _anyone_ who could've chucked the thing. But there was no one, the few people passing by on the dim streets blissfully unaware of the more-than-ruffled chef and the downed mugger.

*

Sanji pushed the front door to the Sunny open fifteen minutes before his shift started, the stupid bell angrily tucked into his jacket pocket. Usopp was the first to greet him, waving Sanji forward. He was led to the back and introduced to a buff guy with blue hair named Franky, the guy wore blue short shorts and a red T-shirt that was made out of that see-through fabric. Sanji raised a brow at his getup but didn't judge, he'd seen plenty weirder folks.

He met Brook next, a very frail looking fifty-year-old man with a puffy afro. He had on a more classy outfit, a dark jacket with a plum button-up and slacks. Sanji's head tipped to the side at the sight of the purple cane hanging from Brook's arm, there was something about it that gave the chef weird vibes. Aside from the strange accessory, Brook was a kind man. He did like making weird dead jokes though, throwing the blond for a loop.

Chopper was a young boy who barely came up to Sanji's ribcage, he had creamy brown skin and curly chocolate brown hair. He liked to wear pink, favoring an adorable baby pink and sky blue hat. It reminded Sanji of a cloud of cotton candy, the boy's clothes loose-fitting and comfortable. A simple pair of hot pink khakis and a rose pink tank top, he wore a pair of blown sneakers to complete the innocent look. The chef found he was already comfortable around the teen after being introduced.

He was informed that he'd be working in the kitchen with Chopper and Franky as his helpers/waiters, Brook as the host to show them to the costumers to a table. Nami was in the back office and Robin had taken the day off, Luffy and Usopp unloading supplies and ingredients in the alley behind the Sunny.

It wasn't long before the rush hit, Sanji getting order after order and still managing to keep up. Luffy wouldn't shut up about how cool the blond was, even when Sanji smashed his foot into the boy's face when he tried to sneak food off of a plate. Usopp was more timid, keeping his distance from the fiery chef and sticking close to Luffy. Sanji didn't think much of it, whether or not he got along with everyone was not his main focus (unless of course it was the lovely Nami or Robin).

He just had to do what he loved, letting his mind go blank and his hand gracefully work their magic. The pay was decent and until Zeff told him he could come back...it would do to keep his mind of more sinister subjects.

Like the bell that felt like a crushing weight stuffed within his pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter after such a long wait and I apologize, but we're coming along. Zoro will make his grand appearance soon, thoughts and theories of how or why? Let me know what you guys think! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji and his best pal get together for a drink.
> 
> Talking ensues.

The day passed by as a blur, Sanji was never just standing around. He reveled in the fact that there was always something to do, something to complete at the Sunny. So it wasn't really a suprise when Chopper skipped up to the window looking content with the days work.

"Hiya Sanji, your shift is over, Robin is coming in to cover the rest of the evening." Sanji paused, looking up at the clock to see that it was time for him to head home. He hesitantly nodded, untying his apron to throw into the laundry basket to be washed.

He cleaned out his locker, grabbing his phone and jacket. He had a few unread messages from Heather, the kind lady had offered to buy him a drink this upcoming Friday. Sanji smiled to himself and quickly replied with an 'I would love to my dear!' as he strut further into the back.

He pushed the creaky metal door open and walked out into the back alley, shrugging into his jacket and stuffing his hands into his pockets. His eyes widened when his knuckles brushed against cool metal, he had forgotten about the cursed bell for the duration of work. He plucked it from his pocket and scowled, observing the strange symbols for the hundredth time since yesterday night.

"What the fuck are you?" He scowled, not that he expected any type of response. He wasn't a complete fruitcake.

Yet.

He tucked the bell back into his breast pocket and started down the street, the sun was setting and he uneasily eyed the many dim alleyways. Each one reminding him of what had gone down just that morning before work, he was lucky to be alive. His thoughts shifted to the bell and his frustration flared up, it definitely wasn't luck.

His phone chimed and Sanji quickly dug it out of his jacket, expecting Heather when he opened his messages. His face twitched when he saw it wasn't the angel, but Braxton. The emojis he used frequently causing his lips to turn down, the asshole was a man-child in his forties...not a teenager.

Regardless, he knew that of he ignored the text Braxton would spam him; and if he blocked the moron, Braxton would probably show up at the chef's door. Sanji wanted neither to become reality, so he heaved a defeated sigh and sent an reply consisting of a simple _'hi'_ to the persistent male. The idiot's response came almost instantly, not giving the blond a chance to exit out of messaging.

_6:47pm_  
**_Shithead:_** _Yo! What's up!? Was wondering why I haven't heard from you lately..._ 😋

Sanji inwardly cringed at the text, starting his trek home as he typed out a convincing lie. It wasn't like he could tell Braxton that he had found out he was casually carrying around a cursed bell that he's had for as long as he could remember.

_6:50pm_  
**_Sanji:_** _Just been busy trying to find something to pass the time with, you were not on said list._

The blond read it over and hit send with a huff, taking a second to peer up at the sunset. It was a captivating mixture of red and orange that blended together to create a nostalgic sight. Something pulled in the back of his mind at the familiar crimson color, he assumed it had something to do with his mysteriously blank childhood. Sanji heard his phone chime and unlocked his screen to see what Braxton had written back.

_6:53pm_  
**_Shithead:_** _Not even on the bottom?_ 😢😏 _Then_ _it's up_ _to me to remind you why we're besties, have a few drinks with me on Wednesday?_ 🤗

Sanji blinked down at the message, leave it to Braxton to twist the conversation to get what he had wanted all along. There was no way to weasel his way out of going unless he wanted to be interrogated by the elder male. The chef's brows furrowed as he reluctantly agreed to the smooth bastards proposal.

_6:55pm_  
**_Sanji:_** _Which bar at what time?_

_6:56pm_  
**_Shithead:_** _The Saxton Pub at 7_ 😈

Sanji hummed to himself, it wasn't a long walk from the Sunny. In fact, it was only a three minute stroll. He briefly glanced around to make sure he hadn't wandered during the time spent staring down at his phone, relaxing when he realized that he recognized his surroundings.

_6:58pm_  
**_Sanji:_** _Alright, see you Wednesday then...and would you please stop using emojis? You're an adult Braxton, it's cringy._

_6:59pm_  
**_Shithead:_** 🖕 _Nope. Can't wait to hang,_ _I_ _will be eagerly awaiting our secret rendezvou._ 😘

Sanji slid a hand over his face with a suffering groan, the man was _married!_ Why did he feel the need to flirt with the blond at every opportunity? Was it because the chef liked both genders? Sanji just chalked it up to Braxton showing his gay support in his own, extremely weird, way.

And maybe part of him appreciated Braxton for it.

*

"Hey bestie! So glad you could make it!" Braxton hollared, Sanji looking around the bar for the source. He spotted the moron all the way across the damn room with a happy grin. Sanji sighed, he had given serious thought to dipping out last minute. The blond eventually decided against it though, mostly because Braxton didn't deserve that.

"Stop being embarrassing." Sanji huffed, plopping down onto the empty seat next to the beaming male. Braxton paid no mind to Sanji's attitude, forcing a cold beer into the blonde's hands.

"Oh loosen up! Anything interesting happen?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Sanji's foot twitched, itching to plant itself on Braxton's smug face.

"No." Sanji snapped, and if the widening smile on Braxton's lips was any indication, he had answered a bit too defensively. The chef bristled as Braxton leaned forward in his seat, a knowing look in his eyes.

"You have a date, don't you? When!? Who!? Is he hot!?" Braxton exploded, Sanji could feel a migraine coming on.

" _Her_ name is Heather, I'm supposed to meet her at a bar this Friday." Some of the tension left him as he spilled the news to his closest friend. Braxton was always supportive and understanding, backing Sanji up when he needed it with an optimistic attitude. Braxton had even went with Sanji when the blond worked up the guts to come out to Zeff, who was less than surprised by the confession.

"Oooh...sounds fun. Just don't get too crazy!" The chef snorted, sipping on his beer with a content air around him. It felt good to brag to a buddy about a hot date.

"The only crazy one here is you." Sanji reminded, Braxton burst into laughter and raised his bottle to tap it against the blonde's.

"Tóuche." He toasted, finishing off his drink in three large gulps before ordering another.

"You have to have the hardest working liver in existence." Sanji snipped, a smile tugging at his mouth at Braxton's affronted expression.

"Hey, I could say the same about your lungs." The man fired back, starting on his next bottle. Sanji begrudgingly gave him that, muttering some colorful words into his bottle before he took a large swig.

"Well I hope you have fun on your date bro." Braxton slapped a hand onto the chef's back, Sanji dishing out a well-placed kick to Braxton's shin in retaliation.

"So how is Jazzy? She still putting up with your antics?" Braxton stuck his tongue out, earning a flat glare from his blond friend.

"She's great, enjoying life. She recently got a good job at a bakery. Oh! Speaking of food, Jazzy wants you to come over for dinner this Sunday." Sanji tilted his head, digging through his memory to see if he had anything planned.

"What time?" Braxton's face brightened, his body practically buzzing with excitement.

"Around four, and we want you to cook." The blond should have seen that coming, he frowned at Braxton's beaming grin.

"Anything specific you want me to prepare?" Braxton rolled his eyes at Sanji's sarcastic tone, but answered nonetheless.

"Well...Jazzy always did like your casseroles." The smile on Braxton's smug face made Sanji consider committing homicide. Thankfully for Braxton, he threw his hands up in surrender before Sanji could make a move.

"Jazzy would really enjoy a casserole though." He smiled, hoping to placate the fuming blond. Sanji huffed, nodding to himself as he made a mental list of ingredients he would be needing.

"You're lucky you married a respectable lady." The chef grouched, Braxton sighing in relief as the tension drained from Sanji's body.

"Oh yeah, the most respectable of ladies." A pang of loneliness made Sanji grimace, he took a few gulps of beer to numb the unwelcomed feeling. A strange warm sensation on his chest had the chef looking down his dress shirt to investigate.

The symbols on the bell were giving off a soft red glow, heating the bare skin it rested against. Sanji blinked as a wave of comfort washed over him, a small smile quirking his lips up of their own violation. The strange feeling was shattered when Braxton playfully punched his shoulder.

"People tend to think smiling down your shirt is creepy you know." The blond sent him an unimpressed look, Braxton just raised a challenging brow in response.

"Not that I mind or anything of course." Braxton teased, ordering a third beer while Sanji was still on his first.

"Of course." The blond parroted with a smirk, digging into his jacket to grab his wallet. Braxton's face scrunched at the sight of the leather square, his hand swiftly catching Sanji's wrist.

"I got it." He assured, Sanji knew it was better to agree than argue. So he finished his beer in a few quick swallows before placing it back onto the table.

"By all means, pay for my alcohol. I have to go though, I work early tomorrow." Braxton hummed in understanding as he stashed some money under Sanji's empty bottle. He stood when the chef did, pulling the blond into a bear-hug that forced the air out of his lungs. Sanji did manage to weakly return the embrace though, sucking in a deep breath when Braxton finally let him go. Sanji bid him goodnight, making Braxton promise not to drink too much.

The sun was starting to set when Sanji stepped out of the bar, the chilled breeze sending the blonde's hair into a wild frenzy. He took a deep breath, letting himself enjoy the autumn air for a moment before heading off toward home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a filler chapter...but it has to do with the future I promise! On a better note, Zoro will be making his entrance within the next two chapters. So be prepared! This is going to be a slow burn story so strap in folks! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji goes on his date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Sexual content ahead!

By the time Friday rolled around, Sanji was giddy with excitement. Everything was going quite smoothly, Sanji had met all the employees who worked at the Sunny from the musician Brook to the all-things-sports champion Luffy (who apparently owned the bar). The chef was giddy for tonight, texting Heather to make sure everything was just about set in stone.

He had begrudgingly put the bell back on the chain around his neck once again, he found no harm in keeping it on his person. He'd contact a few supposed experts in demon stuff on Saturday, make it his mission to find some answers. But for now, he just wanted to focus on making some pocket cash since Zeff still insisted on forcing the blond to take his vacation days.

Sanji still wasn't quite sure why he couldn't be a waiter or even a host when the sun started to set. Normally Nami-swan would just send him home and have the lovely Robin-chwan take over for the rest of the night. It both confused and int rested the blond to no end, but when he had asked Nami-swan about it she had hit him on the head so hard that the spot had been sore for days. He didn't question the weird work schedule again, opting to quietly ponder about it to himself within the safety of the kitchen.

"Two bacon burgers for table six!" Chopper clipped the written order up so Sanji could hop to it, and he most certainly did. The two steaming patties were assembled and plated and placed on the window within seven minutes, the chef hit the silver bell with a smug grin.

"Burgers for table six." He called, leaning forward to prop his chin up on the palm of his hand as Usopp skittered over to take the orders with a gobsmacked expression.

"You're inhuman." He muttered, snatching up the plates as Sanji shrugged.

"I'm just good at what I do." The blonde's smile grew, knowing full well that he probably looked creepy, but he couldn't find it in himself to care at the moment. It had been quite some time since someone had been shocked by his skill, anyone who was a part of high-end society knew about the Baratie. Their building has been on camera multiple times, Zeff having to make time for hundreds of interviews. His only condition to the reporters was that they left Sanji and the other chef's in the kitchen alone to let them work without distraction. 

"Good evening Cook-san." Sanji startled out of his daze, realizing that Robin had entered the kitchen while he was off daydreaming. Her thick dark hair was already tied up in a messy bun and wearing her deep purple apron.

"Hello Robin-chwan! Are we switching already?" Sanji wiggled a bit, pleased that he was able to be in her presence without her being bothered by his mannerisms. He had already ticked of Nami with his constant hovering, she had threatened bodily harm on him if he were to continue so he gave the fiery ginger her space. He still got to look forward to his conversations with Robin when they changed shifts though, no matter how brief some of them were.

"Yes, you have to get ready for your outing correct? I thought you'd appreciate an extra hour." Robin had a knowing look in her eyes, a soft smile on her lips. Sanji felt his face heat up in response and spluttered for a second or two, Robin patiently waiting for him to calm down.

"Why thank you my goddess! I will be sure to make the most out of the offered time!" Sanji dropped down to one knee, kissing her hand before jumping up to rush out to his locker. He grabbed his phone, wallet, and jacket and excitedly shut the door with more force than needed.

"Stay safe bro!" Franky yelled as the blond sped past the break room, Luffy looking up from his bag of chips to flail his arm about in an enthusiastic goodbye. Sanji returned the gesture with a quick wave of his own, pushing the door to the back alley open and jogging out.

His body was thrumming with anticipation, blood roaring in his ears as he sprinted all the way to his apartment. He kicked off his shoes right after he stepped in, taking a second to shut and lock the front door before he was stripping down. He tossed the sweaty clothes into his dirty basket and moved to the bathroom to start up the shower.

He stepped under the spray with a content sigh, grabbing his body-wash to squirt ab bit onto a washcloth before scrubbing himself clean with it. He washed his hair next, rinsing out the shampoo when he suddenly heard a suspicious clatter. With a glower, he yanked the curtain back and immediately spotted the golden bell he had _specifically_ left with his clothes sitting innocently upon the tiled floor.

"You're so annoying. Worse than Zeff even, and that's an accomplishment if I've ever seen one." He spat, not exactly expecting a response of any kind. He didn't get any either, even after he'd waited a second or two just to make sure.

"For being some sort of cursed supernatural object you sure don't do very much-SHIT!" The blond flailed as his foot slipped, his back flaring with pain as it hit the porcelain tub. His head smacked against the wall and he hissed, spitting out the water that managed to get into his mouth. The spray continued to splash against his scrunched face until he was functional enough to shift out of the way.

The temperature in the room plummeted and Sanji shivered despite the fact that his chest and torso were still under the warm water. The chef froze as he suddenly felt a presence, his eyes raking around the clearly empty bathroom. The hair on the back of his neck prickled as the bell began to roll, bumping into the side of the tub. Sanji leaned to peer over the edge of the tub and nearly shit himself as the bell began to roll up the smooth porcelain side.

"Jesus fuck, what are you?" Sanji reached out to hold his hand palm up when the bell stopped rolling on the edge of the tub. It didn't move right away but a chill crawled down the chef's aching spine when it inched forward, rolling onto his fingers and halting on his palm. The chef lifted it to eye level, leveling the golden object with an intense stare. 

"What a help you were. That fall fucking hurt." Sanji blurted, annoyance bubbling up. He supposedly sold his soul for protection dammit! So that's what he should be getting! He slowly sat up with a wince, something different about the room catching his eye. His overpowering curiosity demanded he check it out, so he cautiously stepped out of the tub after switching the water off. He shuffled over to the fogged up mirror, gaze sweeping over the surface. His face turning fire hydrant red with fury at what was sloppily written.

_Pampered asshole_

Sanji snarled some choice words from his colorful vocabulary, shooting an accusing look at the golden bell clenched in his hand. He wound his arm up and chucked the bell at the door, it connected with a worrying crunch and Sanji paled at the dent left behind. The bell clattering to the tile, as polished and shiny as ever.

"You-fucking...come ON!" Sanji howled, snatching up a towel to wrap around his waist. He sneered down at the bell as he stepped over it, leaving it behind as he stalked out the hall and to his bedroom.

*

Sanji stepped into the club, the base vibrating the walls and floor as people moved to the music. He scanned the crowd for a glance of Heather, not seeing her anywhere. So he pushed through the crowd and plopped himself down at the bar with a heavy sigh, clubs weren't really his scene. His fingers subconsciously moved to fidget with the bell he had grumpily clasped around his neck; with what happened last time he took it off, he figured it couldn't hurt to keep it with him.

His blue gaze squinted against the flashing lights as he tried to see if he could spot Heather within the mass of people. Figuring it was better to just text her, he pulled out his phone only for it to buzz with a received message. A person sat down next to him to whisper something to the bartender that Sanji couldn't hear over the booming noise. He frowned down at his phone screen, deflating when he opened the chat.

 _8:44pm_  
**_Heather:_** _Super sorry, but my brother is in the hospital so I'm gonna have to take a rain-check._

The blond understood her reason, if something had happen to Zeff he would ditch too. So he tried to shove down the familiar feeling of disappointment that welled up, his chest aching. So he jumped when a drink was slid across the table to stop in front of him, his eyes flickering over the bright red fingernails that curled around the chilled glass. His gaze siding up to her sympathetic face, she had an easygoing smile on her crimson painted lips.

"You're date cancelled huh? Don't worry, it's happened to the best of us." Sanji forced himself not to cringe at the cliche reassurance, just giving her a silent nod. He wasn't really in the mood to flirt, or do anything really.

"Well I'm here with some of my friends if you'd like to party with us? I'm Felicity by the way." Sanji was about to decline but kept his mouth shut to think about it. If he were to go home, it would be to wallow in misery all by himself. The quiet of the apartment would be suffocating, he didn't really want to go home if he was honest with himself.

"I think I'll take you up on your kind offer mademoiselle, I'm Sanji." He took the offered glass and took a large gulp before getting up and following Felicity to a rowdy table tucked away in a corner. There were seven people seated and chatting away, Sanji swallowed his anxiety with another few swigs of beer.

He didn't remember most of their names due to the erotic haze caused by cup after cup of alcohol. He had been dragged to the dance floor by Felicity and two of her girl friends, but he quickly lost them as they merged into the mob of bodies. He swayed to the music, the bell around his neck bouncing with his movement. He jolted with a surprised sound when a person pressed against him from behind.

He adjusted to the person's rhythm easily, pushing back as the music turned absolutely _filthy_. Vulgar words and innuendos filled the sick beat with sexual tension, the dance floor getting heated. The stranger's large hands grasped his hips, grinding against his backside. Sanji found that he didn't really care and reached up to tug at the person's hair. Their chest rumbled with approval, a hand abandoning his hip to slide underneath his navy blue button up.

Sanji rolled his hips as the hand roamed the expanse of his chest, starting to pant as the dancing fingers went higher and higher. The person's knuckle bumped against the silent bell and a sudden pulse of white hot rage had Sanji pausing, but the strangers hand continued exploring. The chef figured that they hadn't felt the wave of emotion, he wiggled away and turned to face his dance partner. What he saw made his heart stutter in his chest.

Familiar neon green hair and crimson red eyes.

He blinked a few times and just like that, the mystery guy was gone. Replaced with one of Felicity's guy friends that he had been introduced to earlier, Sanji was beyond creeped out. The blond stumbled back, his stomach in knots as his vision went fuzzy. He slapped a hand over his mouth and spun to sprint to the men's restroom, shoving a stall open and collapsing over the toilet to puke his guts up.

He groaned, keeping his eyes shut and his forehead against the cold wall as he flushed the vomit away. His head was pounding in time with his heart, hands violently shaking. He fumbled with his shirt until he could grab hold of the bell, squeezing it tight in an effort to ground himself as the world swirled together; his stomach doing some pretty impressive acrobatics.

This was _not_ what being drunk felt like, plus he hadn't had enough alcohol to get more than tipsy. The other scenario was much darker and frankly, Sanji didn't want to acknowledge the fact he had probably been drugged. He didn't want to think Felicity was the one that slipped it to him, but she _was_ the one to get all five of his drinks. He slumped down against the wall as black dots appeared in his vision, all his energy leaving him at once. His eyes closed of their own violation, dunking him into an endless black as the bathroom door swung open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! It's Zoro time! I made sure this chapter was a bit longer than usual (as an apology). I've been inactive with this particular story for so long...but I'm trying to get my imagination going again so wish me luck. Oh! And let me know what you think happened or is going to happen next, I'm always happy to hear what you guys have to say! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	8. Chapter 8

Sanji rose into consciousness slowly, as if moving through molasses. His eyelids fluttered as his hand sluggishly clenched, his limbs oddly heavy. His brows scrunched when he found he couldn't move, as if restrained. He forced his aching eyes open and peered over at his arm, gut twisting at the sight of the metal cuff locked around his wrist. His other arm and legs were the same, forcefully star-fishing him over a large stone table. He scanned the room and noticed five other blondes restrained in the same fashion, two other males (not including himself) and three females.

"Finally awake I see, hello Sanji." The chef craned his neck in order to stare into the darkness, the candles scattered on the stone table he was tied to could only help so much.

"Felicity?" He croaked, throat feeling like sandpaper. Felicity shifted into the light and Sanji's brows furrowed when he saw the black robe she wore.

"What's going on?" He could hear the other captives stirring as she chuckled.

"Congratulations, you six were chosen to be a part of something bigger than yourselves!" She clasped her hands together excitedly, waving to five of her companions so they could come forward.

"Lets begin." She quipped, the other hostages groggily struggling against their bonds. A few of them loudly demanding answers and others wept.

"Yell and scream all you want, no one will hear you." Felicity waved a dismissive hand, Sanji had already figured that they would be in a secluded area. The walls, ceiling, and floor were solid rock; which most likely meant that they were underground somewhere.

"Why?" Sanji asked, staring the girl down with smoldering eyes. Her face advertised her confusion at his calm tone, a cruel smile making her lips turn up.

"We are going to raise our lord from the underworld." Sanji's face screwed up before he burst into laughter, causing Felicity's grin to be effectively wiped right off her face. She threw her hand out toward one of her cloaked buddies, who silently handed her a gnarly looking dagger. The blond eyed the knife in obvious disbelief, laughter subsiding as she stalked up to him.

"Satan? Really?" He huffed, letting his head thump back against the stone table beneath him. Oh how disappointed Felicity and her cult was going to be when the sacrifices did jack squat.

"Start the ritual." Protests rose from the hostages as cloaked figures approached them with daggers identical to the one Felicity held. The blond tuned their shouts and cries out and sneered at Felicity when she tugged his sleeve up to expose his wrists.

"Don't you fucking dare-mnh! He clenched his jaw against the sting, muscles pulling taught when she dug the sharp point into soft flesh. She had cut vertically, she meant business. He jerked with a hiss as she did the same to his other wrist, leveling her with the most hateful glare.

"No hard feelings?" She cackled as she turned away to hand the blade off to someone. Sanji lifted his head to watch the red liquid steam from the deep wounds inflicted, pooling onto the floor to fill up some weird grooves that were carved into the floor. They connected all six tables into a complete circle, a star symbol in the middle of all the tables.

His arms were steadily going numb, his thoughts getting hazy as his blood drained out onto the floor. He blinked in confusion as the bell on his chest began to warm, he had assumed that they had taken it while he was unconscious. He clenched his eyes shut and grit his teeth against the emotions rising up in him, the realization that he was most likely going to die setting in.

They were going to kill him, and for Satan no less.

The bell continued to heat until the temperature became unbearable, his skin sizzling as if it was burning him. He howled and arched off the table, Felicity whirling around to watch his writhing with confused eyes. She strut forward, ripping his shirt open to reveal the glowing bell, her eyes bugged out of her head as her jaw dropped open in silent awe.

"Those symbols...it couldn't be." She plucked it up, yanking the bell off the chain around the blonde's neck harshly. She got to look at it for a whole of two seconds before she shrieked and dropped it. The bell had burned her as well, Sanji watching in slow motion as the golden object fell. It hit the floor and a deafening ringing started up, Sanji would have clamped his hands over his ears if he wasn't tied up. His eyes were wide as the bell sunk into his blood puddle, knowing for a fact that the puddle was _not_ deep enough to fully submerge the bell.

A hum started up in the chef's ears, growing louder and higher in pitch with each passing second. He thrashed, hoping his ears would still work after this was over (if he survived what was about to happen). His ears popped and suddenly he could hear an actual _voice_. It echoed in his head and brought forth flashes of dense forest; his own, smaller hand reaching out. The bell being gently placed onto his palm, warm and thruming with energy. He looked up at the blurry face of the person to gave to object to him, he could only see their lips moving; but this time, he understood the words being uttered.

_Sanji Red, this will protect you when I cannot. But, if there ever comes a day where someone spills your blood with the intent to take your life...call my name and I will come you your aid._

_**This is our contract.** _

The blonde's chest was on fire, scorching him from the inside. Pressure built at the back of his throat as he strained against the metal holding him down. Felicity stumbled back a step, the hand that held her burnt limb shaking. He gasped for breath as the tight sensation pushed up, the tension finally snapping as he just...stopped fighting.

"RORONOA!" A rumble started to shake the room, the puddle of his blood bubbling. The temperature in the chamber dropped so low that Sanji could see his breath with every exhale. There was a screech of terror ripping from Felicity as a red-soaked hand shot out of the blood puddle to shove daedly sharp fingernails into the stone floor with a crack. Another arm moving to dig into the opposite side for leverage to hual a blood-caked upper body up, a knee shifting to push the person completely out of the crimson mess. Sanji couldn't tear his eyes away as the person rose to their towering height, it was definitely a person though.

As naked as the day they were born, tan skin stretched over shifting muscles. One of their hands moving up to wipe at the blood covering their eyes, only managing to smear the liquid around. The male's one functioning eye flicked open and Sanji made a strangled noise at what color it was, the orb shining like a crimson glowstick. The guy's other eye was sealed shut by a vertical scar, Sanji didn't think it could ever open again. His vision went fuzzy as blood loss took it's toll, his limbs turning to jelly.

The last thing he saw before he blacked out was the furious expression the man wore.

*

Sanji flailed upright with a choked sound, the phantom feeling of hands lifting him off cold stone fading. The blond blindly rolled off of the soft surface he had been placed upon, willing his eyes to adjust to the dark faster. His jumbled memories catching up to him as he slowly stood from the carpet.

The date, Felicity, being drugged and almost sacrificed.

His brows furrowed as he focused back on observing his surroundings, it all looked very familiar. He pushed to his feet to find a light anyway, already pretty positive he knew where he was.

He flipped the switch he knew would be there and his suspicions were confirmed, he was in his room. He also had no recollection of how he had gotten from the underground chamber to his apartment.

Speaking of human sacrifices...the chef peered down at his arms, surprised to see his shirt sleeves had been pulled down and re-buttoned; the remaining buttons on his shirt were even done up. Sanji was both weary and relieved to see minimal blood splatter on the garment.

The feeble emotion was quickly drowned out by panic when he realized he shouldn't even be _able_ to move his hands. Felicity hadn't been precise about her slashing, only focused on slicing a vein open. His nerves should be severely damaged, he clenched and relaxed his hand without so much as a twinge of pain. Now throughly weirded out, Sanji hurriedly tugged his sleeves back up.

Confusion immediately pushed to the forefront of his mind when he was met with a faint white line where the dagger had cut through flesh. He quickly rolled his other sleeve up only to get the same result, Sanji had a feeling that the man with the red eye had something to do with the healed injuries. The blond had no doubt in his mind that the guy was somehow connected to the bell too, so that must mean he's the demon that Sanji had made a deal with.

"Great, did I just somehow unleash him or something? And what was his name again?" Sanji could feel a migraine coming on and decided some tylenol sounded great. So he crept from his room and to take some meds for his headache, planning to shower and snuggle onto some clean clothes after. He dug through his memories for the name he had called, certain that it was the demons; but it just wouldn't come to him, stuck on the tip of his tongue. He scowled to himself and gave up for the time being, exhausted despite just waking up minutes prior.

He paused at the end of the hallway as he caught sight of his jacket neatly folded upon the dining table, his wallet and phone next to it. His eyes narrowed when he noticed the bell on top of the black jacket, forcing himself to walk forward despite his fight or flight instinct going haywire.

"At least I didn't get my amazing cooking skills from our deal." Sanji muttered, eyeing the bell as he made his way to the kitchen.

_"It was an exchange."_

A disembodied voice snapped, making the chef jump two feet into the air. He spun to take his eyes over his apartment in an attempt to catch a glimpse of that crimson gaze.

"Yeah? And what did I give you you in return? My soul?" Sanji taunted, scoffing when he got no response. So he flipped the entire area the bird before stomping up to a cabinet in the kitchen to swallow two pills dry. He turned and jerked back when he noticed the bell had relocated a mere foot from him, just sitting on the counter. His eye seized up and he snatched the bell up to fiercely glare at the offending object.

"I swear to god if you pull some creepy stalking shit while I'm in the bathroom, I will have you blessed by a priest."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...how was it? I know they didn't do a lot of talking (yet) but at least he's in the story now (right!?), thank you all so much for your wonderful comments. They were all very encouraging and pushed me to sit down and write this entire chapter in one go so...keep it up! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji and the Marimo talk.
> 
> Bonus: Sanji gets a not-so-plesant surprise when going to work the next day.

Sanji carefully shed his shirt, wincing at all the tears but promising to himself that he would bring it to his tailor later. He turned back toward the mirror and froze, eyes locked on his chest. On his upper left pec was a fucking _brand_ , the scarring looked _exactly_ like the same symbols that were on that band around the _bell_. Sanji's face turned red, leaning more toward purple as he yelled in frustration. Forcefully calming himself with a heavy exhale before hesitantly pushing a pad of his finger around the burnt tissue; the demon must've healed it as well, because it didn't hurt at all.

He quietly seethed as he turned on the shower to step in, raising the temperature until it was almost scalding before letting his head fall back. He mentally pictured the horrible satanism experience swirl down the drain, it helped calm his frayed nerves. A part of him didn't want to know about what had become of Felicity and her cult after he had passed out, the demon had looked pissed. Sanji decided he'd play twenty questions with the evil entity later, after a proper rest.

He groggily dried himself off and wrapped it around his waist, stumbling out of the bathroom. His gaze immediately falling onto the bell, sitting atop his pillow with yet another delicate black chain connected to the bell to make it a necklace. Sanji made a face at it before striding over to his dresser to yank out a pair of cotton sweats and a tank top.

He regarded the bell for a whole of three seconds before spinning on his heel to march back toward the bathroom to change, body jerking to a stop as that taunting voice echoed around him once again.

_"Feeling modest, curly brow?"_

Sanji's blood boiled and he had to force his legs to keep walking. It didn't matter if he turned around, no matter how fast he swirled...

there would be nothing there.

He swiftly tugged on his sleepwear and stomped back into the room to see the bell was still in the same spot on his pillow. Sanji scowled and walked to the bed, picking the bell up to place onto his nightstand like he normally did. He stood there for a few moments, peering down at the golden object as if he could read the answers it held on its smooth shiny surface. 

"I know you can talk to me." Sanji stated, shifting on his feet while feeling only slightly ridiculous for talking to an inanimate object. His eyebrow twitched when he got no response, he crossed his arms with newfound hostility.

"You wanna play it that way? Fine. I'm bringing you to a church this weekend." Now _that_ got the demon's attention. The temperature in the room fell, causing a shiver to rattle down the chef's spine. The lights flickered before dimming as if something was drawing energy from the bulbs, Sanji spun when the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

"...Shit." Sanji gasped as he caught sight of the dark silhouette in the far corner of his room. Its head brushed the ceiling, it's body pitch black as dark wisps of shadow arched up from obsidian skin. Large claws adorned massive hands, it's feet had dark scales with bird-like claws hooked into the floor. The blond dragged his eyes up to the fluttering wings connected to the beasts back, they were also a silky black and resembled bats wings. The elfish ears threw Sanji for a loop, eyes pausing on the three dangling earrings. He fidgeted as he moved his gaze over monstrously sharp teeth, finally settling on a glowing crimson eye that screamed annoyance. It shifted and the blond's wide stare shot down to the thick tail that swished against the floor, connected to the demon's lower back.

_"You wanted to talk."_

Sanji was greeted with a low growl, filling every nook and cranny of the room. The chef was minutely surprised that the apartment complex didn't start shaking with how thunderous its voice was. Sanji had to take a second to drag his bravery back to him kicking and screaming, staring the demon down with a carefully guarded expression.

"Why do you look like that?" Sanji thought about the first time he had seen the demon, the green hair and tan skin. 

It had looked human.

_"I used most of my energy to drag myself out of hell. Then another chunk to slaughter the cult and bringing you back here. I need to recharge."_

Sanji blinked, he hadn't been expecting such a straightforward and honest reply. Mostly he had been anticipating swearing and maybe even death by claws.

"So it takes energy to stay in human form? What do you do to recharge? What did I give you in our exchange?" Sanji blurted, rapid firing questions that he desperately wanted answered. The demon moved forward and the blond stumbled back, yelping as his heel smacked into the chest as the foot of his bed. He tipped back as he flailed helplessly trying to regain his balance, his breath left him with a whoosh as the demon was suddenly in front of him with a clawed hand sprawled out across his back to hold him up. They were pressed chest to chest and the blond shivered as the chill of the demons skin seeped through his tank top, it moved slowly as to not spook him and backed away when Sanji was safely upright. 

"Uh...t-thanks." The blond spluttered, watching as the demon's creased brows smoothed out when it nodded.

_"It does take energy to contain my form in a human body. I sleep a lot and occasionally have sex. And our exchange is something you have to remember yourself, brat."_

It rolled it's massive shoulders and a sudden inquiry bubbled up. Sanji ignored the intercourse part, it was unnecessary information that Sanji could've gone his whole life without knowing.

"Are you male?" The demon gave him a flat look, making Sanji blush and rush to defend his question.

"Well I don't know how it works down there, angels don't have genders so I just figured I'd be clear..." He trailed off as he ran out of breath, warily eyeing the demon. It didn't even seem to be breathing, as still as a statue.

_"I'm male, yes. But demons don't have male or female genitalia when in demon form because my kind aren't supposed to repopulate in our true form."_

Sanji nodded to himself, soaking in the given information. His blue eyes flickering up, neck tilting so he could peer into that deep red iris.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" The demon bristled, his lips turning down. Sanji waited patiently as the demon crossed his arms in a defensive action.

_"We have a contract, I'm bound to it...and therefore, bound to you. I'm at your command."_

He didn't sound very happy while explaining this to the blond, which was completely understandable. Sanji wouldn't like telling someone they had full control over him either, the chef would be sure not to abuse his power over the demon and decided to tell him so.

"I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to. You're not a pet, you're a demon." Sanji waved a hand, dramatically flopping down onto his bed. The demon's eye widened a fraction of an inch before he schooled his features, Sanji pressed his lips together in thought.

_"What?"_

The demon asked, looking genuinely curious. The blond rubbed at his sore ankle and that red eye flickered down to it for a second before flashing back to Sanji's pondering expression.

"What am I supposed to call you? Referring to you as 'the demon' after everything seems a bit...insensitive." Sanji watched the demon with a hopeful expression, maybe the demon would give the chef his name?

_"Pick one. You have to remember my name yourself."_

Sanji grumbled some choice words, rolling onto his back. He racked his brain for any names that fit the beast before him, spiky green hair flashing in his mind's eye had his lips curling into a devious grin.

"Marimo." If it was even possible, the demon went even more still. A snarl erupting from his chest as his claws twitched, Sanji tried very hard not to be intimidated.

_"What?"_

Sanji threw his hands up in a silent a cry for mercy, fighting down a smile at the look of pure contempt twisting the Marimo's features.

"In human form, your hair reminds me of a Marimo." Sanji shrugged, as if the reply explained everything. The Marimo still looked insulted by the nickname but had to begrudgingly leave the blond to his ridiculous naming logic.

_"Go to bed dartboard, you have work tomorrow. And don't bring the bell to church, it wouldn't end well."_

Marimo grumbled, moving back as Sanji obediently slipped under his covers. Watching as the demon evaporated into thin air, leaving the blond to be alone once again.

*

Sanji threw his hand onto his phone, silencing his alarm. He yawned as he sat up with a large stretch, that had been the best nights sleep he's had since this whole mess started. His eyes sleepily scanned the room for the Marimo, disappointment curling in his belly when he found the room empty. He quietly cursed, hoping he wasn't getting emotionally attached to a demon of all things...or _people_. Tossing his covers back to clamber out of bed and get dressed for the day, snatching up the bell and his phone before heading to the bathroom to touch up his appearance and brush his teeth.

He tamed his hair into his normal look before pulling the bell over his head to rest on his chest when he tucked it underneath his dress shirt. As he scrubbed his teeth free of germs be decided to forgo the jacket and wear a vest instead, it was a beautiful burgundy that paired really well with some matching colored dress shoes. He was buttoning his cuffs when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye before his wallet was tossed at him from across the room. The blond startled, but caught it nonetheless.

"Thanks Marimo." Sanji shoved it into his vest pocket and moved out the front door, locking it behind him. He felt the Marimo's presence follow him as he navigated the streets, feeling the tension radiating from the demon as Sanji moved into the more sketchy part of town where the Sunny was built.

"Calm down will you? I've done this plenty of times." To anyone who happened to see, it would look as if the blond was talking to himself. Which was a huge deterrent in the chef's book when it came to being approached by unwanted visitors. He turned the corner and smiled as the Sunny's front doors came into view, waving at Usopp as he strut in. The curly haired boy paled and hesitantly returned the gesture before scurrying into the back, making Sanji's brows scrunch.

"Well that was weird..." The blond mumbled, moving into the kitchen to quickly pull on and tie his apron before warming up the stove as the first few customers came in. With no one at the bar up front, the two customers were forced to sit around and wait. After about three minutes, Sanji had just gotten to the point where he considered going out to take their orders himself.

Thankfully, Luffy burst out of the break room and hurried up to the counter to greet them with one of his signature smiles that took up the bottom half of his face. After that it was all a flurry of activity with a steady stream of orders to complete, Sanji was ready when his break time finally came. Letting Usopp take over for ten minutes as he headed to the room in the back, plopping down in a chair with some fries he had made for himself.

"Hey bro!" Franky bellowed, patting Sanji's shoulder as he walked in to take a seat himself.

"Hi Franky. How's the bar?" The blue-haired beefcake leaned back with a chuckle.

"We've already got our regulars coming in for my SUPER drinks!" He boasted, it reminded the blond of Braxton. 

"Really? I'll have to try one when I'm off the clock then." Something shifted in Franky's expression, but his smile was back so fast that Sanji had no hope to decipher the emotion.

"Sure thing bro! I have the perfect one for you!" He babbled excitedly for the rest of the chef's break; Sanji listened but his mind would always go back to that dark look on Franky's face. The blond stood when Usopp poked his head in to inform him that his break was over, he bid Franky a good day and went back to the kitchen to finish up his shift. 

He was walking down the hallway when he heard the shattering of glass, it came from the dining area so he sped up into a full sprint. Sliding out of the back and to the front dining area, he rushed over to the woman who was kneeling down to pick up shards of a cup. He ignored the phantom tugging sensation on his sleeve to approach her.

"Are you alright miss!?" He knelt down beside her and moved to help her clean up the dangerous shards, she paused what she was doing to openly stare at him with wide gray eyes.

"Did you cut yourself?" Sanji pressed, eyes flickering up from what his hands were doing to meet her steady gaze. Her mouth opened and the blond tensed at the sight of inhumanly sharp canines. He hissed as a sharp pain flared up from his palm, looking down to see he had squeezed the piece of glass that had been in his hand. The woman's eyes followed his gaze down to the bright red blood that dripped onto the floor, the entire bar had gone silent and a chill raced down Sanji's spine. He peered around to see everyone was watching him, he jumped when the woman's hand shot out to catch his wrist in an unforgiving grip. His heart stuttered in his chest when her tongue slid out to lick the wound, the blond jerked back but was unable to escape her hold.

"What the fuck!?" He squawked, panic rising up as his stomach did impressive flips.

"I didn't know Luffy had taken to hiring humans..." She peeked up at him, pupils slit like a cats with her unnaturally long tongue hanging down past her chin. Panic melted into terror and his entire body locked up, the bell on his chest heated up as she leaned back down, mouth widening as if to bite into him. Once again a pressure built in the back of his throat and he didn't hesitate to blurt out the name he knew he'd be forgetting.

"Uh...Roronoa!?" He shrieked and the woman flinched away as if hit, wide eyes snapping up to his face in fear.

"What? How do you know that name!?" The rest of the customers shifted away from the chef, horror dawning on each of their faces as hands curled around Sanji's shoulders. The Marimo's dark shape forming behind the blond, the woman cringed back when that red eye glared down at where Sanji's wrist was held hostage.

"Don't tell me you didn't sense it."

The Marimo sounded beyond raged, leaning more toward white hot fury. He tugged Sanji up to his feet as he too stood, lifting the blonde's injured hand to inspect. He plucked the glass chunk out of Sanji's grip and carelessly tossed it aside, stance shifting as Luffy stepped out of the back. His eyes scanned over the petrified guests, freezing on Sanji and the Marimo.

"Zoro?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. CLIFFHANGER! Trust me, I am well aware of the torture I'm putting my readers through; but it was getting too long guys! I kinda had to stop it there...so don't murder me? As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji has a bit of a mental breakdown

The Marimo- _Zoro_ -stared at Luffy. Sanji was officially confused, how did Luffy know the Marimo? Zoro was a demon for gods sake!

Unless...

"Oh my god." His mind went numb, refusing to accept the implications of what was right in front of him. Sanji lurched away from the Marim- no. _Zoro's_ hold, hand slipping when it hit the floor with a wet splat. Zoro's eye narrowed, gaze warning all the...the _demons_ in the Sunny to stay put.

"Sanji! Shit, are you okay!?" Nami rushed out, hovering behind Luffy with Usopp and the others peeking out from the back to hesitantly watch the situation.

"You're all..." His head was reeling, his breathing picking up. He couldn't get a decent breath, he clenched his injured hand into a fist and let the stabbing pain ground him. He yelped when Zoro caught his wrist, gently prying his fingers out of the wound.

_"I can tell when you're in pain, brat."_

His voice had grown more soothing, his features shifting as skin started to grow over his dark body. His height shrinking as the tan skin forced his form to shrink to fit into the person suit that was growing. His wings folded and his tail tucked against his spine, it looked super uncomfortable.

Green hair sprouted as the last of the tan skin overlapped black smoke, trapping Zoro's true form inside human skin. Sanji shivered, strictly keeping his eyes locked with Zoro's one dark orb. The color had grown dull, more of a maroon color than that glowing red.

"Do I still have clothes here?" The Marimo turned his head slightly to peer back at Luffy, who nodded.

"We're closed. Get. Out." Luffy barked and all the demons skittered out of their seats and exited the building, including the lady that had tried to bite him.

"Zor-" The Marimo's hand slapped over his mouth, he was shivering while sucking in harsh breaths.

"You can't say my name or all the work I just put into my human form will be for nothing." Sanji nodded, a million questions rampaging through his head. Zoro sighed and slowly lowered his hand, eyes flickering down to the blonde's hand, blood still steadily leaking from the gash.

"Have Chopper look at him, I'm gonna get dressed. I'll answer your questions _after_ you're patched up Blondie." With that, Zoro stood to waltz into the back. Usopp squeaked and scrambled out of his way as Franky and Robin parted to give the Marimo room to pass. Sanji tried not to stare at his wide shoulders and sculpted back muscles...or anything lower than that.

"Sanji, did anyone bite you?" Nami was in front of him in a flash, her face pale. Sanji peered up at her with wide, blank eyes and she winced.

"He called for Zoro before anything happened, it gave cook-san enough time to avoid becoming a meal." Robin piped up, sending ice down his back and prompting a violent shiver. He had narrowly escaped death, or a fate far worse. Nami placed a hand on his shoulder as Luffy gently helped him up off the floor, they lead him to the back where Chopper was waiting with an array of medical supplies.

"Was he bitten?" Chopper didn't even turn before asking, busy tugging on latex gloves.

"No." Luffy responded, pulling Sanji further into the room. The blonde's tongue felt like cotton, he doubted he could speak even if he wanted to. A heavy feeling of dread made his stomach lurch, his mind fractured with the truth that heaven and hell were an _actual thing_. Luffy helped him to a chair and the blond sank down without any need of convincing, Luffy moved back so Chopper could get in his face and shine a bright light into his eyes.

The blond felt so lost, as if he left his brain back in the front of the bar. He wasn't processing anything being said, he saw Choppers mouth move but he couldn't comprehend the words. His mind kept skipping back to the woman to relive the moment of utter fear in vivid clarity, he had seriously though he was going to die in that moment. He's had too many close calls, first the truck, then the drugged mugger, being drugged himself (he could've overdosed), having his wrists slashed, and now almost being eaten by demons. It was all too much for his fragile human mind to take. He hadn't even known demons existed until a few days ago, it was all too much.

IT WAS TOO MUCH.

His mind did a total shut down, he vaguely realized he was going into shock. The bell on his chest thrummed in time with his racing heart, he was distinctly aware of being picked up and placed onto a large flat surface. The cold seeped into his back and a spark of terror flashed through him, the scars on his wrists throbbed. Hands touched his face, his arms, his hands. Voices spoke to him in frantic tones, speaking a language he no longer understood.

There was the loud bang of a door being thrown open before large calloused hands were grabbing his head; Sanji's eyes snapped open, unaware that they had shut in the first place. That dull red is what met him, there was the light jingle from three golden earrings hanging down from Zoro's ear. Green hair hastily slicked back, large puffs of sweet-smelling breaths washed over his face as if the Marimo had run.

"-nji!"

"-anji!"

"SANJI!" The blond gasped, coughing as his lungs started functioning. He hadn't even known that he was hyperventilating, his chest ached from the abuse. Zoro lifted him off the table and tucked the chef's face into the crook of his neck, holding his head there; his other hand moving up and down over Sanji's back as violent shakes racked the blonde's frame.

This was his life now.

Being pampered by a demon who he apparently exchanged something with, working with demons who casually owned a bar that serviced _other_ demons. The brand on his chest that the bell singed into his skin, a mark that would stay his entire life. A mark he would have no sane explanation for. Maybe he should just go put himself in the nearest loony bin and save everyone the trouble.

"Hey, whatever you're thinking about, stop. Your emotions are all over the place curly." Zoro muttered, shifting restlessly as if Sanji's emotions were affecting him as well. The blond didn't think it was such a far-fetched thought, his hand moved to clutched Zoro's back and pull him closer.

Fuck if he wasn't going to take all the comfort he could get. 

"Take all the time you need brat. I'll explain everything when you want me to." Zoro sighed, his voice a low rumble. Sanji turned his head to take a glance at his bandaged hand, he didn't know when it had happened but was thankful that they decided to patch him up. His breaths slowed to mach Zoro's, calming even further as the adrenaline wore off. He slumped, boneless against the Marimo's front. 

"I wanna go home." Sanji let his head roll, noticing the room they were in was empty. Luffy and the others had left some time ago to give them privacy, Sanji felt embarrassment rush up and released Zoro to push his hands against his chest. The Marimo's skin was neither hot nor cold, smooth yet rough with scars. Sanji found it odd that Zoro's body was void of hair (not including his head and eyebrows). The Marimo let himself be pushed away; the blond knew he had because the guy was a demon for gods sake! He was stronger than Sanji by default.

"Okay. Let's go." The Marimo moved off the table and held a hand out to the blond, Sanji didn't want to think about how fast he reached out to take it. He hated himself even more when Zoro's lips twitched into a small smirk, leading him back out toward the front where Chopper and Usopp were cleaning up the blood and glass. They looked up from their work, the scent of bleach and other chemicals making Sanji's nose scrunch.

"Heading home? Nami wants to see you Zoro, should only take a minute." The Marimo scowled, giving Sanji a pointed look.

"Do _not_ leave without me." He growled, eye flashing crimson before he spun on his heel to march away. The blond was at a loss as to what to do, so he just opted to nervously wait for the Marimo's return.

"Sanji." The blond flinched but turned to look at Chopper's forlorn face.

"I'm sorry you found out this way. I really hoped we could've been friends. I'm sorry that I'm a demon." Sanji blinked owlishly as tears brimmed the boys eyes. Chopper was...apologizing for being the way he was since he was-born? Created? The chef sighed, the tension leaving him as he squatted down to Chopper's level to run a hand through his curly brown locks.

"I'm not angry with you. I'm just...scared. This opens up all sorts of possibilities that I don't really want to think about right now. I've liked you since we were introduced, you being a demon doesn't change the days I spent with you. Now I'm just more informed." Sanji assured with a casual shrug, startling when Chopper wrapped the blond up in a hug. The chef glanced at a teary Usopp and there was a pang of empathy in his chest, they had probably been called all sorts of things before. Sanji was all too aware of the human tendency to fear what they didn't understand. Yeah, they were still demons...from _hell_ , but Sanji had also worked peacefully with them over the course of a week and a half.

"Thank you for being different Sanji." Now that hit him hard, no one had ever thanked him for being himself before. There was a burning sensation in his eyes as he thought all the way back to Tommy and his friends, to all the days of black eyes and split lips. He thought about all the taunts and pain he had went through just because of those two words.

Being different.

"No problem." He managed to choke out, moving back to bump his forehead against Chopper's. 

"I'll be back for answers," Chopper sniffed and Sanji tried to think of something to lighten the mood, "...and my schedule for next week." He heard a sharp breath from behind him and turned to see Zoro, Nami, and Luffy watching him console Chopper with wide eyes.

"Your...schedule? You're still gonna work here?" Luffy's face turned red as he tried to comprehend what was happening, it made Sanji chuckle.

"I have nothing else to do, and you were all nice to me before the incident. Now I know to stay away from the front, that's all." Nami looked even more confused as Zoro rolled his eyes, his shock leaving him as he adjusted to Sanji's special brand of crazy.

"Because we were... _nice_ to you?" Nami squeaked, eyebrows reaching for her hairline. The blond had no response, it was just how he thought. If you didn't hurt him, then you were good as far as he was concerned.

"Yup, now if you'll excuse me, my beautiful Nami-swan! I must be getting home to process all this new information. We'll stop by sometime tomorrow." Sanji gracefully bowed at her and the blond noticed her shoot a weary look over at Zoro, his face was blank but his body was coiled.

"Come on Marimo." Sanji waved him over, holding the door open so Zoro could walk out into the sunlight. Sanji saluted Luffy and the others dumbstruck faces before following, Zoro waiting for him to catch up. They walked side-by-side, in a comfortable quiet. Zoro kept scanning the area around him like the paranoid idiot he was, Sanji nudged the Marimo's side with his elbow to snap him out of it.

"Pry that stick out of your ass every once in a while geez." The chef snorted, Sanji could tell that Zoro was one of those uptight people. He'd only known the guy existed for a few hours and already felt like they had known each other for years instead.

"Our contract's main basis is your safety, I'm upholding it. Brat." The insult was added almost as an afterthought, it made Sanji grit his teeth. He had the distinct feeling Zoro had called him that when they met when the blond was a mere child. He had gotten flashes of memories, his blank childhood coming back in pieces.

"Alright then my valiant watchdog, I'm hungry." Sanji pinched Zoro's side, all too unprepared for the thick muscle his fingers squeezed. Thankfully, Zoro looked more annoyed than in pain, slapping Sanji's hand away with a sneer.

"I'm feeling sweets and I have the perfect place in mind." The blond spun to head in a different direction, his mouth watering as he thought of the bakery Braxton had brought him to the other day. 

"Try not to get hit by a vehicle." Zoro huffed, Sanji glared at him. It was a low blow and they both knew it, the truck incident had been a total accident. It wasn't like the blond stepped out in front of it on _propose_.

"Thought it was your job to make sure that doesn't happen." The chef snarked, a smug look of amusement making his lips jerk. Zoro only grumbled as his words were turned against him, Sanji actually took a moment to observe the clothes he had put on as Zoro bitched quietly to himself.

He was in a tight black t-shirt and deep blue jeans, a leather jacket stretched over his shoulders. He even has sunglasses propped up on his head, black boots secured to his feet. He looked very much like some sort of bad boy, and with Sanji dressed as a gentleman, they looked very strange walking next to each other. Sanji was very aware that if other gays were to see them, it wouldn't be hard to guess who would top if they were to hook up. Sanji shook that thought right out of his head as his face and ears burned. 

Who wanted to be in a relationship with a _demon_ anyways!?

Definitely not him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAS! I am on a roll people! Be prepared for some major fluff in the next chapter between Sanji and Zoro! Oh! I'm so excited, there's so many ways to go with this fanfiction and it's both freaking me out and making me excited to write more! Wish me luck! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoro finds out something interesting about Sanji.

"Hello Sanji, what can I get for you and your friend?" The waitress, Gwen, was a older lady. Nice like a grandma though, not that Sanji had a grandma to compare with...but still. Gwen knew Braxton since he was a teen and, therefore, knew the young blond the idiot would drag along with him.

"I'll have the blueberry muffin and the tea of the day. Marimo?" Sanji shifted his gaze over to Zoro, who was staring out the window in the seat across from him.

"Order for me." He quipped, not even glancing at him. Sanji's eye spazzed, but he turned to the ever patient Gwen with a irritated smile.

"He'll have the sweetest thing you serve and coffee, black." Gwen nodded and scribbled it down before moving away to complete the order. The blond kicked Zoro's shin as soon as she disappeared into the back, the Marimo jolted before turning to scowl at him.

"Quit being rude." Sanji hissed, his eyes shifting to the side when he saw movement from across the street.

It was Braxton.

The man had spotted him and was flailing his arms to get the blonde's attention while attempting to cross the street _before_ the walk signal allowed him to. Sanji cringed and ducked his head, Zoro's face went from angry to on guard within mere seconds.

"What? Is he an enemy? Shall I kill him?" Zoro's eyes narrowed at Braxton's beaming face as the man scrambled to the bakery door. Basically throwing himself into the quaint shop and hurrying to Sanji's booth to slide in next to the chef.

Zoro sat completely still, tense and ready to lunge over the table at the drop of a hat. Sanji stared the Marimo down with a fierce glower, trying to tell Zoro that Braxton was _not_ to be killed with his gaze. 

"Hey Sanji! Who's your.. _.friend?"_ Braxton purred, waggling his eyebrows as he threw an arm over the blonde's shoulder.

"What are you doing!?" Sanji whispered when Zoro got the chef's message and looked away, but he still he kept glancing at the two of them every few seconds or so.

"Helping you out. You want a good romp yeah? Jealousy makes the _best_ sex buddy." The blond stomped down on Braxton's toes with his heel, pulling a sudden yelp from the man. The Marimo's neck cracked he turned his head so fast, leveling Braxton's red face with a dark look.

"Okay! Okay! Have mercy!" Braxton begged, the red fading into a more worrying purple until Sanji lifted his foot. The idiot proceeded to hunch over and rest his forehead onto the table with a continuous stream of thanks and pleads for forgiveness. Sanji rolled his eyes at Braxton's dramatic tendencies, brightening when Gwen came back with their order. She smiled down at Braxton warmly, a twinkle in her hazel eyes.

"Why hello there honey, I didn't see you come in. Did you want to order something?" Gwen questioned as she handed Sanji his muffin, placing his tea onto the table in front of him before giving Zoro his. The Marimo made a disgusted face as the triple chocolate slice of cake was set in front of him, but he accepted the coffee with a murmur of gratitude. When Gwen left them to their shenanigans, Zoro immediately bared his teeth at the blond and his friend.

"I don't like sweet things." Sanji and Braxton shared a look, the blond turning back to the Marimo with the most serious expression he could muster.

"Then order yourself next time, mosshead." Braxton howled with laughter after his eyes took in Zoro's tan skin and the extremely noticeable bright green hair.

"Oh! That is too good! So how'd you two meet? Thought you had a date with...oh what was her name- Heather!" Zoro went still, like a statue as Sanji shifted; he had to come up with a story on the spot.

"She said she couldn't make it after I arrived to the club and Marimo here kept me company for the night." A slow grin made Braxton's whole face brighten, he chuckled and ruffled Sanji's hair affectionately.

"Well that worked out for you huh? Sucks you were stood up, but at least you got a boyfriend out of it." Sanji paled when Zoro's eye widened. Fear spiked in his chest at Braxton's admittance of Sanji's partner preference. Braxton noticed Sanji's sudden unease and looked between him and Zoro a few times.

"You mean...he didn't-oh fuck." Sanji clambered over Braxton's lap and rushed out the door, knowing Zoro would track him down eventually but not really finding it in himself to care. He heard Braxton hurrying after him, but the blond was built for outrunning others. He pushed himself faster, not knowing where he was going but knowing he had to get _away_. He was literally stuck with Zoro, Sanji could only imagine how awkward it was going to be now that he secret was out.

The sad part was he had really wanted to be friends with Zoro, he had wanted to have someone to come home to. Someone to talk to without having to meet them somewhere, someone to just sit around with. Sanji grit his teeth, slowing to a sluggish walk as his vision blurred.

He was so fucked.

*

Sanji didn't know how long he had walked until he heard someone call his name, he groggily looked up to see Patty eyeing him from the Baratie's front doors, it was close to closing time.

The sun was barely up, bathing most of the city in darkness. His shoulders shook and he realized he had been crying, he didn't know what he had been missing until it was jeopardized. The easy way he and Zoro had bickered, walked side-by-side with ease. Fuck, he had actually enjoyed the demon's company after so many years of being alone. Braxton had a wife, his own life to live.

Patty disappeared and in a few moments, Zeff was hurrying out the doors to grab his forearms in a tight grip. The old man was trembling with fury, jerking his head toward the doors and pulling a sniffling Sanji along. They got to Zeff's office and he sat the blond down before shutting the door and moving back over to Sanji's huddled form.

"Tell me." He growled, pulling another chair up to sit down in front of the blond.

So he did.

Of course he left out the demons and the sacrifice bit, instead he told the old fart about how he had made a friend and ruined it because of the fact that he liked guys. Zeff listened through it all, his face hard and unreadable as Sanji got all his fears off of his chest. Bearing his wounded heart to the one of the few people he knew he could trust it with, sobbing all the while as his emotions swirled like a self-depreciating hurricane.

Eventually he slowed down, running out of things to say. His tears kept falling and his chest still felt too tight, anxiety tying his stomach into knots. He dropped his head into his hands and thought about how he was abandoned as a child, how he was just...dropped at someones doorstep as a baby and left there.

Unwanted.

A frantic knock at the the door was the only warning the two chef's got before Patty was shoving in looking both parts angry and frantic.

"Zeff, there's this green-haired guy storming around the dining area yelling for Sanji." He blurted, chest heaving like he had ran. Now that the blond listened, he _could_ hear muffled shouting. Zeff turned his gaze back to the younger chef with a raised eyebrow.

"Is that your friend?"

That had Sanji pausing, Zoro had shown up. The Marimo had been _looking_ for him, but there was this small voice of doubt that told the blond it was only to break off the contract. Logically, Sanji knew that breaking a contract couldn't happen unless the contract holder dies...but logic was little help when his emotions had the reins. He peered up when Zeff stood, holding out a hand to Sanji to help him to his unsteady feet.

"Come on eggplant, lets see what he has to say." There was something in Zeff's voice that calmed his nerves a little, maybe it was the fact that he knew that Zeff would beat the shit out of Zoro if he started bad-mouthing Sanji. So he allowed himself to be guided out of the back, passed the mostly-empty kitchen (one or two chefs were still hanging around), and into the dining area.

The first thing Sanji saw was that it was pouring outside, and the second thing he noticed was that Zoro was soaking wet and _seething_. He was pacing like a caged animal with some chefs keeping him from tearing through the restaurant. He swirled on the men, seeming to lose his patience.

"I _know_ he's here! SANJI!" There was something wild in the Marimo's eye, it was a bright crimson when it landed on him and Zoro froze. All the tension in his body leaving at once as relief burned in his gaze.

"Sanji-Sanji. I was looking everywhere for you." Sanji pressed his lips together, sqweezing his eyes shut as his hands clenched. He was preparing himself for yelling, for cursing. He wasn't prepared for the feeling of arms wrapping around him, their weight grounding him as he was crushed into a chest.

"You can't just-don't...I don't care about what gender you like." Zoro's voice was strained, breathy. Sanji couldn't remember the last time he was held so tight (other than when Zeff had adopted him), it stole his air away in the most delightful of ways. It left him feeling needed and loved, like the person hugging him couldn't bare the thought of ever letting go.

"I don't care. I don't _care._ Just...don't run off like that." It was like Sanji could suddenly _breathe_ again, the weight on his chest suddenly leaving as if it was never there. His arms flew up to drag Zoro closer, uncaring that the Marimo was drenched to the bone. He inhaled Zoro's woodsy smell and felt safe, like he was a kid all over again.

"Talk to me first, I'll listen. I promise I'll listen." Zoro pushed Sanji back so the blond was at arms length before looking Sanji over for injuries.

"You were so...afraid. So lost and confused and _hateful._ " Zoro took a shuddering breath, hands falling back to his sides. The two just staring at each other for a few beats, Sanji startled when Zeff cleared his throat.

"And who are you?" Zeff grumbled, looking like a bear who was ready to protect its cub.

"Roronoa Zoro." The Marimo answered, eye flickering to the old man. Watching as Zeff strode forward with only a hint of a limp due to his prosthetic leg, he extended his hand toward Zoro.

"Zeff Red. Sanji's father." The blonde's tense shoulders sagged and a breathy chuckle left him, he had expected legal guardian but no. He _was_ Sanji's father, wasn't he?

"Pleasure to see the man who raised such a spitfire." Zoro's lips twitched when his gaze shot to Sanji to catch the disgruntled look on the blonde's face.

"Well I never thought I'd be meeting one of the eggplant's friends." Zoro made a weird questioning face at the nickname, realizing where the chef got his strange naming tendencies from. The Marimo tilted his head as the hand holding his tightened to almost uncomfortable levels.

"You better treat him right, he's been through a lot and deserves something good for once." Zeff's aged eyes were narrowed and Sanji groaned in embarrassment at the old farts antics. But surprisingly, Zoro only adjusted his own grip and nodded, his eye shifting over to hold Sanji's stare.

"Take him home and get him to bed, he's got things to do tomorrow." Sanji's head snapped over to Zeff, he had forgotten about his confession about his new job. Talking about the people (demons) he worked with and how he's never felt more accepted by an _entire group_ of people.

"You're still not allowed back eggplant." His mouth jerked and Sanji took it as an almost-smile, his eyes glinting with giddiness. The asshole probably wished he had kicked Sanji to the curb sooner, the bastard. Sanji repressed the urge to flip the man the bird as the old fart released Zoro's hand, waving the two of them away like they were unwanted visitors.

"Go away. I have to lock up and get some sleep myself." Zeff herded the duo out the front doors and shut them with the resounding click of the lock. Sanji turned his chin up to the dark sky to see the rain had died down to a light sprinkle, Zoro following his gaze upward.

"I'll call a cab." Sanji sighed, pulling out his phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! What's up! What did you guys think of that for some action/angst!? Now Zoro know Sanji likes the D! LOL, there's something wrong with me... ANYWAYS, these chapters are coming along nice (even though I'm shamelessly coming up with the plot on the fly). Let me know what you guys think! I'm always happy to hear ideas, plenty of readers have helped me with where to go forward because of their thinking! So feel free to word-vomit in the comments! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out! 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some questions are answered.
> 
> And Sanji discovers some new information about his mysterious demon companion.

Sanji unlocked his apartment door and let Zoro walk in first, shutting and switching the lock behind them. The Marimo sat down on a stool at the island separating the dining room from the kitchen.

"So...you didn't know." Zoro shifted, turning to the nervous chef with the quirk of a questioning brow.

"That I like...guys. I would've figured-the bell..." He weakly gestured to his chest where the bell sat, the Marimo's eye widening in understanding.

"It's not the same as being here in person. The ringing is a warning and I'd only get a flash of your surroundings before I had to act. I use the bell to channel my power into physically moving you away from the danger. I wasn't _actually_ there. It's pretty complex magic." Zoro leaned back, resting his elbows against the counter behind him.

"So you're like my guardian...demon? Why was everyone so scared of you before? How do you know Luffy?" Sanji cut himself off, knowing he had asked quite a few questions. He reminded himself that he had to give the Marimo time to answer each of them too.

"You are under my protection, call it what you want I guess. They were intimidated because I'm a higher level demon than them. Luffy is my king, and I'm one of the warriors in his inner circle. There are eight of us, excluding Luffy." It made sense, but something about that answer didn't sit right with him.

"What's Luffy king of?" He pressed, Zoro gave the blond a measured look before responding.

"Hell." Sanji balked, mouth opening and closing like a suffocating fish until he was able to compose himself.

"Like...like the _devil?"_ His hands went clammy with a cold sweat when Zoro wordlessly nodded.

"I thought his name was Lucifer!?" Sanji started to pace, running his hands through his golden locks. He'd take four long strides and then turn, the cycle repeating as Zoro calmly watched on.

"He changed it." The Marimo dropped yet another bomb on the poor blond, sending the chef spiralling into confusion.

"He-what? He can just do that!?" Zoro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose like Sanji was somehow dull for not understanding right away.

"He's _Satan_ , as long as the pigeons stay out of the way, he can do whatever the hell he wants." The Marimo let the information sink in for the chef.

"Which so happens to be opening a restaurant/bar for demons." Sanji paused his pacing and swirled to stomp toward Zoro.

"I'm having a hard time soaking in the whole, demons are real and I have a contract with one, thing." Zoro's shoulders tightened, hands curling into fists as his maroon gaze bore into the blond.

"I'll need to lay down some ground rules if this is gonna work." The Marimo held his ground as Sanji braced his hands on the counter on either side of Zoro, moving closer.

"Go ahead." The Marimo grumbled, holding eye contact. Sanji stopped, their nose's almost brushing.

"None of that disappearing shit when we're in the apartment, I wanna know where you are so I don't get paranoid." The chef breathed, Zoro's response was immediate.

"Done." And the Marimo promptly waited for Sanji to give the next rule.

"I want to know when you leave so I don't start a habit of talking to myself." Sanji shifted away a bit as Zoro scowled.

"You'd know because I'd respond, but if that's what you want...then deal." Zoro looked uncomfortable, his shoulders kept jumping and he would adjust how he sat every minute or so. Sanji had an idea as to why that was and decided to test it.

"You can be in demon form if that would make you more comfortable. Just make sure you don't do that evaporating thing." Zoro blinked owlishly for a moment before lifting a hand, gently pressing it against Sanji's shoulder.

"In that case, back up a bit shit cook." Sanji made an affronted sound, but begrudgingly obliged. As soon as he was three steps away, large black wings tore through the leather jacket with ease. The blond jumped when a thick serpent tail thumped onto the hardwood floor after a deafening ripping sound. All the blond could do was stare, Zoro seemed to get fed up with Sanji's gawking because he broke the silence.

"...well? Any other rules?" Zoro snapped, his smooth obsidian tail coiling around his own leg defensively. Sanji wondered what the appendage would feel wrapped around his waist-

 _Nope,_ not going there.

He squashed the traitorous thought and pondered the Marimo's question for a moment or two, the idiot relaxing now that the blond wasn't focusing on him.

"You're sleeping on the sofa." He quipped, watching Zoro's reaction closely.

"I figured." Was his only response to this and Sanji was immensely pleased that the Marimo hadn't thrown a fit. Then what he was agreeing to hit him like a punch to the gut.

Zoro was going to live with him.

In his apartment.

The two of them.

Sanji ran a hand over his face, backing up to lean against the sofa with a heavy sigh. The blonde's gaze flickered over to Zoro, who was valiantly trying to untangle his tail from his leg with a deep frown.

"Idiot Marimo." Sanji chuckled lowly, shaking his head before waltzing off to his closet to fetch a blanket and pillow for the couch. He opened the closet door an froze, a particularly worrying epiphany hitting him.

 _'_ _...as long as the_ _**pigeons** _ _stay out of the way...'_

"Pigeons as in...? Wait. _Angels_ exist too!?"

*

"Curly, you're gonna be late." Sanji rolled away from the voice with a grumbled _'go away.'_ He heard a snort before it was quiet once again, Sanji snuggled deeper into his covers with a content sigh.

The blond was just about to drift back to sleep when his ears picked up footsteps as they moved around his room. His brow scrunched, squinting his eyes open just in time to see Zoro yank open the curtains. The sunlight poured in and blinded the chef, who hastily turned away from the bright light to rub at his aching eyes.

"Fuck. Ow. Fuck the sun. Fuck you." Sanji hissed, curling up as he pulled a pillow over his head to dim the brightness. The bed dipped and the blond growled as his fluffy square was easily taken away, the Marimo's slight smirk grating on Sanji's nerves.

"Come on, get up. It's already ten in the morning, I'm hungry." The chef narrowed his eyes, tugging at the pillow that Zoro refused to let go of.

"Go eat some criminal's soul or something. I'm exhausted." Sanji blinked groggily, sleep pulling at him even with the sunlight streaming in. Zoro's brows pinched in concern, the back of his hand pushing against the blonde's forhead, Sanji slapped the tan limb away with a scowl.

"You don't have a fever." He stated slowly, as if confused that there was nothing physically wrong with the chef.

"Yeah. Great. Wonderful. Now that we have that out of the way, can I go back to sleep now?" The blond snapped, the Marimo just leveled his sass with an unimpressed expression.

"No." And with that, the asshole dropped the pillow only to jerk the blankets off of the chef, who shivered as the cold air washed over him. Goosebumps rose on his skin as he flailed upright, now wide awake as Zoro smiled knowingly and headed toward the door.

"Get dressed then make some breakfast." Zoro waved a hand at Sanji as the cowardly Marimo retreated. The blond was speechless for a whole two seconds before snatching his pillow up and hurling it at Zoro's stupidly muscled back. It harmlessly bounced off, but made Sanji feel better anyway.

"Asshole." The chef muttered when the Marimo kept on going as if nothing had hit him, disappearing into the hallway.

Sanji sat there for another minute or so, blinking tiredly, before dragging himself out of bed for a nice warm shower. He glanced at the bell sitting on his nightstand, deciding to leave it for now. He grabbed a change of clothes and stumbled into the bathroom, switching on the hot water before stripping down.

He eyed the bandages wrapped around his hand for a moment, shuddering as the woman's dark orbs flashed behind his eyelids. He gently pulled the bandages off and tossed them into the trash, unsurprised to see the wound was healed into yet another faint scar.

He had never healed this fast until Zoro showed up in person, Sanji wondered how the fucker was doing the rapid healing thing. He decided to file the question away from later, moving under the spray with a deep sigh.

*

When the chef stepped into the living room, he noticed Zoro was already seated at the island. Sanji also noticed that it was the same spot the Marimo had been in during their conversation yesterday.

The shock came with the weirdos new attire. The Marimo was in a forest green robe thing with a red sash tying it closed, along with blackish green pants and black boots. The three swords secured to Zoro's hip had Sanji raising a brow, his lips twitching as he tried not to smile.

"And what are you supposed to be? A swordsman?" The blond snickered, Zoro turned to face Sanji with an exasperated expression.

"Yes." That sobered Sanji up quickly, the realization that Zoro was, in fact, a swordsman setting in.

"Wow, so you actually know how to use those things?" Sanji moved closer, kneeling down to study the three blades. Each katana safely in its sheath, but two of them felt odd. Their aura was pulsing, dark. The white sword was different, a warmer aura that Sanji found relaxing.

Zoro shifted and his knee bumped against Sanji's chin. The blond startled out of his daze and peered up, making eye-contact with the Marimo. They just held it for a few seconds before the Marimo cleared his throat and looked away, his ears pink.

"Of course I know how to use them." He grumbled,scratching the back of his neck with blunt nails. Zoro's wings were gone, but his dark tail thumped against the floor in a steady rhythm.

"Why three? How do you wield the third one?" Sanji sat back on his haunches, tilting his head up at Zoro with curiosity.

"My mouth." Sanji tried not to think about the imagery that popped up at the quip. Instead he reached out toward the white sheath, glancing up at the Marimo questioningly.

"Can I?" Zoro's brows furrowed in thought for a moment before he exhaled noisily and nodded. Sanji smiled with the eagerness of a child on Christmas and brushed his fingertips over the sheath. The design was beautiful, he was mesmerized by the obvious effort put into it. He moved closer, bracing a hand on Zoro's thigh to steady himself, his free hand continuing it exploration of the katana.

Sanji's fingers slid up to the hilt, noting the worn indents that indicated this was the one he clamped between his teeth. It's energy was different from the other two, an innocence around it that the blond found vaguely familiar.

"Oi." The chef jumped, hand clenching on Zoro's thigh in fright. The blonde's blue gaze snapped over to the hand, yanking the limb away as if burned. His mind was reeling, trying to piece together a proper apology.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable-" Sanji was cut off when Zoro waved his hand, he didn't look very bothered by the blonde's unintentional groping.

"Make food already." Sanji's eye twitched, his face twisting into a frown. The blond stood, spinning on his heel to stomp into the kitchen while muttering curses toward a certain green-haired demon.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here it comes....plot twist.

"You need to change." Sanji rested his chin against his hand, watching Zoro inhale the breakfast he had prepared. The Marimo nodded distractedly, too busy stuffing his face to actually pay attention. The blond rolled his eyes at the childish swordsman.

"Can you conjure up clothes or do we need to go to the Sunny and pick some up?" At the mention of the bar, Zoro finally gave Sanji his full attention.

"What about the Sunny?" His voice was hard, angry. Sanji stiffened at the intense stare he was getting.

"You need regular clothes and I need my schedule." Sanji tried, hoping to calm the swordsman down by clarifying. Unfortunately, this only seemed to piss the Marimo off more.

"You're still gonna work there after what happened? No, absolutely not." Sanji blinked, so that's what this sudden aggression was about?

"Yeah. If you don't like it just come work there with me." Zoro's face went from angry to shocked to confused in rapid succession.

"...what?" Was Zoro's very intelligent response to this proposition. Sanji scoffed, taking a sip of his coffee before bothering to reply to the Marimo's idiotic question.

"If you work there with me, you can earn money and keep me safe so nothing like that happens again. That clear enough for you, Marimo?" Zoro seemed to contemplate it for a few moments, gaze searching the blonde's face.

He seemed to find whatever he was looking for because the swordsman sighed, digging a hand into his robe to pull out a cellphone. Sanji blinked at it, the electronic looked so out of place in the Marimo's hand.

Zoro's thumbs flew over the screen, pausing when he was done. A ding noise signaled the recipients immediate response, the swordsman smirked down at his phone before tucking it away.

"Alright. Luffy's expecting us a little after two. All the money I make will be transferred into your account. All you have to do is feed me and not die." The idiot looked so pleased with himself, a smug look on his face that Sanji so desperately wanted to shove his foot in.

Swallowing down his irritation, the chef peeked over at the clock. It was around eleven already, so he mentally planned out a lunch that he could make to bring for Luffy and the others. Maybe he'd whip up a quick dessert for Chopper's sweet tooth. Sanji's phone vibrated, temporarily distracting him.

The blond waltzed over to the electronic and scooped it up, barely even glancing at the caller ID before hitting the green button.

"Sanji Red here." He greeted, hearing a familiar exhale of relief on the other end.

 _'Oh Sanji, thank god you're alright! Look man, I'm super_ _sorry_ _about yesterday! I didn't mean to assume and that was really shitty of me-'_

Sanji chuckled at Braxton's panicked tone, it was as if the dude thought the chef was going to hang up before Braxton could finish his lengthy apology.

"I'm not upset. The Marimo is fine with my preferences, we're all good." The blond assured, listening to Braxton's muffled joyous celebrating.

 _'Oh how I love you. So accepting,_ _I_ _promise I'll make it up to you! How about you, your friend, and I hang out friday?'_ The chef tilted his head, turning to glance at Zoro. The Marimo was already watching him, perking up when the blond turned.

"Hold on, let me ask." Braxton made a strangled sound before he started babbling into the phone, Sanji ignored him in favor of asking for Zoro's opinion.

"You remember that Braxton guy from the bakery?" The Marimo silently nodded.

"Well, he wants us to go somewhere with him next Saturday. You up for it?" Zoro shoved another heaping bite of omelet into his face as he thought.

"It'll be educational to learn more about the world in this era. Tell him yes." Sanji rolled his eyes, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately. He pressed the phone back against his ear and flushed at what Braxton was spouting.

 _'...the two of you are living together!? Cause I know for a_ _fact_ _that you don't leave your house until_ _at_ _least noon on the weekends...usually. So are you two fucking now? Did I help you get the guy? Oh that would be a story to_ _tell_ _my children_ -'

"Zoro said yes. Where are we meeting?" The blond cut in, running a hand over his face.

 _'It's a surprise, I'll give ya more details later! Oh, Jazzy's back from her mom's. Bye!'_ The blond sighed, hitting the end button before his phone could beep at him.

"Did he say where we were going to go?" Zoro asked, polishing off the last of his third omelet with a content hum.

"Nope, but he'll tell us later." Sanji shrugged, snatching the swordsman's empty plate to quickly hand-wash. Zoro stood with a stretch, his robe concealing practically _none_ of his broad chest.

"I'll just throw on my clothes from yesterday then pick up the rest when we go back to the Sunny." Sanji made a face at the mention of the less-than-desirable clothing plan, but it really couldn't be helped at the moment.

"Yeah, whatever. Shower first." The chef begrudgingly agreed, waving Zoro away. The Marimo clicked his tongue but did as told, stalking to the bathroom.

"You know how to use one right?" Sanji teased, hearing a muffled swear in reply. He chuckled, wiping down the counter even though Zoro hadn't made a mess.

*

"Do you have everything?" Zoro asked for the tenth time since Sanji slipped on his dress shoes.

"For the last time, yes." The blond scowled, pushing the apartment door open for Zoro to walk through. The Marimo looked skeptical but waited in the hallway while Sanji shrugged on his jacket and locked the door.

"Let's go." The chef strode down the hallway, swiftly decending the stairs. Zoro was right on his tail, easily keeping up. For someone almost twice Sanji's size, the swordsman moved just as quietly and gracefully as the blond did.

The air outside felt wonderful, fresh and comfortably cool. Sanji took a second to breathe it in before heading off to the Sunny. Zoro stuck close to Sanji, basically glued to the chef's side.

The blond wasn't very annoyed by this, finding the protective streak more enduring than anything. Sanji wondered when Zoro's quirks had stopped bothering him. Hell, he'd only known the guy for a few days.

But it felt like they had been together for longer.

Sanji figured it had something to do with their encounter when the chef was young. Plus, in an odd way, Zoro _had_ been with him his entire life. Seeing snippets of the blonde's every day activities when Sanji was in danger.

"Oi, curly." Sanji turned to look at the Marimo, hating himself the instant he did. He was beginning to respond to the swordsman's own insulting nicknames.

"What?" He snapped irritably, hands clenching around the handle of the cooler he carried. He had packed lunch for his demon coworkers; it consisted of breaded chicken tenders and a noodle salad, plus something sweet for those who wanted it. Zoro had glared at the brownies the whole time Sanji prepared them. The Marimo's face twisting with disgust when the apartment started smelling like the chocolate treat as it baked.

"You're spacing out, it makes you look more retarded than usual." Sanji growled, shoving his elbow into the Marimo's ribs.

"Speak for yourself mosshead." The blond sneered, turning a corner. He bumped into another person, both Sanji and the stranger stumbled back. Thankfully, Zoro caught and steadied the chef.

"Watch it prick." The stranger snarled, towering over the blond. Sanji wished the ground would open up and swallow him, he stuttered out an incomprehensible apology. The dude was intimidating as fuck, his head completely shaved with bulging muscles to back up his thug look.

"I can't hear you, pretty boy." He smirked and a chill clawed down Sanji's spine. His chest seemed to warm as his heartbeat sped up with anxiety. His lungs shuddered in his chest when Zoro stepped in front of him, getting in the thug guys face.

"Back off." His voice was low, calm; a clear warning in his mellow tone. The thug didn't move, pushing Zoro's shoulder in a way that said _'or what?'_

Sanji felt the air temperature plummet, wincing at what the poor soul had just gotten himself into. The sound gained the thugs attention, the guy smiled at him.

"Don't you worry faggot, once I'm done with your boyfriend, we're gonna have some fun." The blond gaped at the man, jolting when Zoro's hand wrapped around his wrist. Sanji's tense shoulders relaxed and he let out a shaky breath, knowing that the Marimo would take care of the asshole. It felt good to rely on someone, to not have to do everything himself.

"Don't call him that." Zoro grits out, swinging with his free hand before the guy even had a chance to open his mouth. Sanji grimaced as the swordsman's fist slammed into the thugs jaw, the guys neck making a click noise. The thugs eyes rolled back and he slumped boneless to the filthy concrete, Zoro kicked the unconscious body for good measure.

"You good?" The Marimo inquired, narrowed gaze scanning the blond for any injury.

"I'm fine. Let's go before he wakes up." Zoro snorted, probably doubting that the man would be waking up anytime soon. A part of Sanji hoped the thug wasn't dead, the other part said serves him right. The swordsman stepped up beside the chef as they continued, Zoro's hand still curled around the chef's wrist.

The comforting pressure kept Sanji from saying anything just yet.

He was allowed a guilty pleasure once-in-awhile, so they just walked along in silence. Sanji was actually surprised when Zoro spoke.

"Don't let what he said get to you. I would never let anyone do anything to you." The Marimo had a serious expression, his eye a glowing red. What the thug had spouted seemed to get on Zoro's nerves more than Sanji's, but the blond nodded regardless.

"I know." He assured, gently tugging away from the swordsman's grasp. Zoro jumped when he realized he was still holding onto the chef, immediately letting go.

"Good." And that was the end of their brief conversation, making Sanji chuckle in amusement. Zoro sent him a questioning glance but the blond just shook his head, he didn't want the swordsman to worry about it.

There was something bugging him though.

He didn't quite know what it was yet, his brows dipped down as the wheels in his head turned. There was this pit in his stomach, making his hands shake. He squeaked when Zoro's hand shot out to grab Sanji's hand, which had subconsciously began to rub at the itchy brand on his chest.

"Oi, what's wrong?" The swordsman looked worried, studying the dawning horror on the chef's face.

"Marimo...I left the bell at home." It was absent from its spot around his neck. Zoro looked confused until realization brightened his gaze.

"But I still felt your emotions, that's not possible. Unless..." The Marimo froze, eye wide with disbelief. He swirled on Sanji and gripped his shoulders, face concerned.

"Did it burn you?" Sanji didn't understand what the brand had to do with anything.

"Yes." The chef muttered and Zoro groaned, letting Sanji go to ruffle up his own green locks in frustration.

"Shit. We have to talk to Robin." Panic surged through Sanji, Zoro's head snapping up as if he could feel the blonde's racing heart.

"Hey, it's nothing life threatening. It's more of an accident, Robin will explain better." Zoro started walking again, at a more hurried pace. Sanji couldn't help the fear that clawed at his throat, the swordsman tensed in response.

"There's nothing wrong with you, the contract was accidentally altered. The brand you got from the bell blinds me to your life. As long as you are alive, the contract can't be broken." Sanji was even more confused, the fear fading. He thought that he would be dying anyway, he did give the Marimo something in return for the swordsman's protection after all. As if sensing his question, Zoro replied.

"I owed you a favor, I had been wondering why our contract is still intact even after I saved your life. Our deal should have been completed, but something changed." Zoro's hand was twitching like crazy, the limb occasionally moving to his side. Sanji had noticed that it was the empty space where the swordsman's katana should be.

"Well fuck." Sanji was stunned, their deal was supposed to be over? Zoro shouldn't be with him still, the Marimo was supposed to have been able to leave.

"Exactly." Zoro grunted, pulling the blond along as the Sunny came into view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's that for a plot twist? Ha! Now they're definitely stuck with each other. There with be more information on the matter in the next chapter, as well as describing the rules of the new contract. So be on the lookout for more! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji learns both intriguing and disturbing news.

"This does seem like a slight hindrance, swordsman-san." Robin looked both troubled and hopelessly amused.

"How could this have even happened!?" Zoro growled, working on pacing a hole into the floor as Luffy and the others chowed down on the food Sanji had brought. The blond himself was seated across from Robin, his shirt unbuttoned and his jacket neatly folded on a nearby table. The dark-haired beauty was examining the burn mark on the chef's chest with intrigued deep blue eyes.

"By my guess, a combination of emotions from the two of you. Swordsman-san wanted to protect Cook-san, and Cook-san wanted a protector. The strength of these emotions is probably what altered the contract." Robin brushed her fingers on the scorch mark and the skin tingled.

Zoro bristled, his foot hesitating on his next step before he shook himself and continued. Robin's observing eyes caught this, letting her hand drop away from the brand on pale skin. Sanji took this moment of quiet to ask his burning question.

"What do the symbols mean?" He blurted, eyes scanning over the demons around him.

"It says Roronoa, means the two of you are connected deeper than just a contract. There are emotions involved." Chopper piped up, inhaling the brownies Sanji had baked.

"You mean we have an emotional connection to each other?" Sanji pressed, slumping in defeat when the curly-haired boy nodded.

"It's not unexpected, swordsman-san had met you as a child. He probably wanted to protect you from anything and everything that could hurt you. Strengthening the bond, the cult incident just solidified it." Robin shrugged, glancing at Zoro every few seconds to gauge his flickering emotions.

"Fantastic, so I'm bound to him until he dies?" Zoro growled, pulling at his hair. Luffy's gaze moved from Sanji to the Marimo a few times, his lips quirking into a wide smile.

"It's not so bad! Everyone here has some sort of contract with someone right now, even me. Or else we couldn't be here." Luffy stuffed more chicken down his throat as Sanji gawked.

"You mean-you all have...well then." Sanji coughed, slumping forward to rest his forehead against the cold wood.

"You also borrow power from Zoro, your aura's are intertwined. That's probably how your wounds healed so quickly, seemingly overnight correct?" Robin's hand rested on the blonde's back and Sanji mumbled an affirmative.

"You share the wound when your contract heals it, you take half the damage and Zoro takes the other. I wouldn't be surprised if swordsman-san had matching scars on his wrists and palm." Sanji jerked upright, waving Zoro closer with a frantic hand. The Marimo shot Robin a dirty look as the chef tugged Zoro's leather sleeve up. Low and behold, there was a faint mark on the tan flesh. More pronounced on the swordsman's darker skin than on Sanji's, the blond frowned. He examined Zoro's other wrist and found the same results, his palm was no different.

"Well this is concerning." Sanji grumbled to himself, Zoro had to share any wounds Sanji got now. The swordsman pulled away to continued his back and forth march with more vigor.

"What happens to the Marimo if the contract breaks?" The blond hesitantly asked, the question caused Zoro to jerk to a stop.

"I go back to hell and wait for another contract to be made." He grunted, Luffy nodding in forlorn agreement.

"So don't die Sanji!" Luffy ordered sternly, the blond seriously pondered what about the strawhat-clad boy was so terrifying.

Was this kid really the _devil?_

"Alright. Alright. No dying, got it. But what if I get sick with cancer or something?" Sanji challenged, Luffy's response was almost instantaneous.

"You can't, Zoro's magic would heal it. You won't get ill while he's bound to you. Death is your only escape." Luffy's voice dropped a few octaves, a haunted look in his dark eyes. At least until Nami smacked him upside the head, Zoro punching the poor boy in the stomach; both yelling about how Luffy shouldn't be giving Sanji unhealthy ideas.

The blond considered his words quite seriously. The only way to break the contract would be for Sanji to die, he didn't know how he felt about that quite yet. Zoro was literally tied to the chef's life, the Marimo was basically Sanji's slave for the rest of the blonde's life.

"Where will I go when I die?" Sanji's voice sounded weird to his own ears, numb and hallow. Robin regarded the chef with intelligent eyes, she knew that Sanji knew.

"Well, since you now have a permanent contract with Swordsman-san...you will be going to hell." Sanji breathed out, clenching his hands to stop the tremble.

"Oh." Was all he was able to manage, his heartbeat thundering in his ears.

He was _beyond_ screwed.

Sanji would go to hell when he died, just because the contract was somehow altered by their emotions. The blond wondered what Zoro was feeling when he fully activated the contract by saving Sanji.

He snuck a glance at the Marimo to find that Zoro was already watching him with a creased brow and a deep frown. He almost looked...worried.

"Is there any way we can reverse it?" Zoro abruptly turned to Luffy, staring the other boy down seriously. The Strawhat teen had his pinky finger up his nose with the dumbest look on his face.

"Don't know. I've never tried." Luffy shrugged, perking up as a vein popped in Zoro's forehead.

"Sounds like an adventure though! Count me in!" Luffy pumped his fist into the air with a bright smile, looking eager to cause trouble.

"Luffy-san, there could be devastating consequences to both Swordsman-san and Cook-san if we were to make one false move. Not to mention the process would require Cook-san to die." Robin interjected, sending ripples of unease down the blonde's spine. Dying and going to hell for however long didn't seem like a very compelling choice to Sanji.

"Boo!" Luffy stuck his tongue out like a disagreeable toddler, flailing one of his hands around in a thumbs-down position. Sanji sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, this was really too much to pile onto ones shoulders all at once.

"Forget it. Not happening." Zoro butt in, punching the back of Luffy's head with a dark scowl. Sanji's eyes widened, their gazes meeting for a split second before the Marimo was looking away.

"But we have a three month time limit before the contract is irreversible and Sanji will be stuck in hell whether we like it or not!" Chopper protested and Sanji squeezed his eyes shut, unwilling to hear more damming information. He lifted his hands to press his palms over his aching pools of blue, willing his heart to calm some so he could manage a decent breath.

"Fuck." Sanji hissed, brushing his hands up to stressfully curl into his golden locks. The chef jumped with a choked noise when hands encased his own to gently untangle his fingers from his hair, just holding his slender hands in their own lax grasp. Sanji looked up, already knowing whose face he would be met with.

Zoro's eye was troubled, but his body was relaxed and his grip gentle. He squeezed Sanji's hands reassuringly, his face perfectly calm, borderline blank. The chef found himself able to exhale his anxiety, holding onto Zoro's hands just as tight.

"Don't worry Sanji-bro, we'll figure it out. We always do." Franky assured, slurping down some cola out of a massive cup. The blond nodded, taking comfort in his words. Zoro loosened his grip, Sanji watching the Marimo pull away with a pang in his chest that he didn't want to acknowledge.

"There's not much else we can do right now so come back tomorrow okay?" Nami smiled warmly, looking sympathetic. Sanji sighed, standing up to button his shirt and pick up his jacket to fold over his arm.

"Come on Marimo." Sanji waved, expecting Zoro to follow when the blond left the bar. He wasn't disappointed, the door jingling only a second later before Zoro was catching up to walk by his side.

The silence was suffocating.

"I'm sorry that the contract altered. I really am." Sanji blurted, mentally cringing at how stupid his apology had sounded. Zoro's eye flickered to look at him for a split second, his lips twitching.

"I know." And if that reply didn't unnerve the blond, Sanji didn't know what would. He did want to know the extent of the bond they shared though.

"So...can you like, read my mind?" Zoro snorted, as if Sanji was being totally ridiculous. The chef's eyebrow spazzed, his foot itching to hit the bastard.

"No, curly. Your emotions give off intent, I just have to decode it. Sometimes your emotions are pretty straightforward though." The swordsman explained, Sanji found it odd that Zoro could find the right words to describe the bond so easily.

"Did you...have a contract like this before?" That seemed to stump Zoro for a second or two, but he still recovered faster than expected.

"It was similar, yes. But that was a long time ago." His body was suddenly stiff, as if he had been reminded of something horrible. Sanji let it go for now, not wanting to pry open an old wound.

A sudden thought hit him, a reminder from a few days ago, when he was at the bar with Braxton. Sanji slid a hand over his face with a groan, Zoro immediately whipping around to push into his space.

"What is it? What's wrong?" The Marimo demanded, looking ready to break something...or someone. The chef scowled, nudging at the clingy swordsman's leg with his shoe. Zoro seemed to instantly understand, stepping back to give the blond his much wanted space.

"I have to go shopping, I'm supposed to make a casserole for Braxton and Jazzy this evening." Sanji dug into his jacket pocket to pull out his box of cigarettes and a lighter. Zoro made a face when the chef lit up one of the cancer sticks to take a pull.

"Let's go, I know the way to a nearby store. Anything you want?" Sanji changed direction, looking back at the Marimo. Zoro barely even missed a beat before giving his answer.

"Booze."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes. I know. It's a bit shorter than usual, but I felt that it was a good place to stop. Not really a cliffhanger (finally), and you guys got more information about the whole 'bond/contract' thing. So I'd call this Chapter a win, thank you. As always don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoro reveals a new threat and, unexpectedly, a bonded pair is introduced.

"A demon who's addicted to alchohol huh?" Sanji mused, pushing a cart through the market. He eyed the fresh produce as Zoro moodily walked beside him.

"For the last time. Yes, I drink. Are you gonna get me some or what?" Zoro grouched, avoiding eye-contact with the chef. Sanji found his grumpiness adorable, not that he'd ever tell the Marimo that.

"Yes, yes. What do you want?" Zoro blinked owlishly in surprise, effectively tugging on Sanji's heartstrings. It was very likely that the mosshead had never had formed a contract with someone like the chef before. Sanji was determined to give Zoro a say, because this was half the blonde's fault too.

"Whiskey." Zoro finally blurted, posture stiff with confusion and wariness. Sanji snorted, his gaze snapping down to the blond.

"We'll stop and get you some Whiskey Marimo." Zoro nodded with a what Sanji would like to call a _grateful_ grunt.

"Question." Sanji piped up after he had chosen some potatoes and onions to place in the cart. Zoro shot him a disbelieving look, a smirk making his brows smooth out.

"Answer." He replied, managing to sound more barbaric than the blond did. Sanji chuckled, shaking his head. He didn't know whether to be pissed or amused that Zoro had so effortlessly jumped onboard with Sanji's quirky antics.

"If we break the contract, wouldn't you go back to...hell?" Sanji lowered his voice at the end, tearing his ocean eyes away from the avacados to stare at Zoro expectantly.

"What you and I made when you were a kid wasn't a full contract. It was more of an exchange, you gave me something and I returned the favor. After that favor is given, then there's a resting period of a few hundred years before I'm yanked back downstairs." Zoro shrugged, watching Sanji as the blond held up a pineapple to examine. The chef gave him a side glance, the demon kept looking around as if he expected an ambush at any second.

"There's something you're not telling me." Sanji accused, frowning at the Marimo in disapproval. Zoro glanced at him, an indescribable emotion shimmering in his lone gaze.

"Yes." He admitted lowly, eye sweeping around the store as if he expected someone to be listening.

"Well? What is it?" Sanji hissed, his own voice dropping down to a whisper. The chef instantly felt like an idiot, scowling to himself while Zoro seemed to be searching for the right words.

"You know how Luffy is up here right?" Sanji nodded warily, not sure where the Marimo was going with this.

"His inner circle knights are all up here too, I was the last." Sanji blinked, not following. Zoro had a knowing frown of irritation on his lips, sighing like Sanji was somehow an idiot for not understanding.

"There's no one of high rank in hell. There's no order." Sanji's eyes widened comically as the meaning behind the loaded words dawned on him. His mouth opened and closed like a suffocating fish for a moment or two.

"Shit." Sanji hissed, putting the pineapple back just so he could take a hot minute to scoop up his shattered brain.

"That's not even the worst of it." Zoro continued, the chef turning back to face the Marimo with his brows raised in disbelief.

"There's this group that regulates punishment in hell, they're called the Marines. They're big on rules, and Luffy tends to break them often." That little tidbit of information didn't surprise the blond, this was the devil for fucks sake. The guy was _known_ for rebelling and finding loopholes.

"Why are they called Marines?" Sanji asked, curious and slightly intimidated.

"They're demons know for their water combat, especially the higher-ups." Zoro gave a quick, but subtle, glance around their immediate persons.

"Do they like...hunt you guys down to bring you back to hell or something?" To his pleasant surprise, Zoro nodded.

"Exactly, usually at least one of Luffy's inner circle has to be in hell to keep the peace, if not Luffy himself. I was the last one to leave, which means they'll start looking for us." Sanji hummed in thought. He paused as a realization hit him like a pile of bricks, his hand in the middle of extending to grab a random onion.

"Wait, the only way to get you back to hell is to kill me." Sanji gulped, rubbing his free hand over his face with a shaky exhale.

"Can't catch a fucking break." The chef grouched, finishing his hunt for an acceptable onion before pushing the cart off toward the dairy isle.

"How will I be able to tell them apart from normal people?" Sanji wondered aloud, glancing at Zoro with the hope that the Marimo had the answer.

"You won't be able to if they rank higher than a General; lucky for you, the pawns are easier to pick out. Their skin is pale and they look ill, but they won't be sweaty or stumble. They'll also have black eyes, you won't be able to tell the pupil apart from the iris." Zoro described, Sanji's nose scrunching in barely contained disgust at the mental image the Marimo's words brought to light.

"Ugh." Sanji made his aversion known, Zoro scoffing with a exasperated eyeroll that had the chef itching to kick him.

"So how do I kill them?" Zoro peered at the chef in obvious shock.

"Well?" Sanji pressed, snapping the mosshead out of his blank stare.

"Normally a cursed blade will consume their corrupt soul, but you can just kill the host too." Sanji froze, he hadn't thought about it like that. Possession was a tricky subject, Sanji didn't know if he could cave someone's head in when they weren't even aware of what their body was doing.

It'd be like murder.

"On second thought...I'll leave the stabbing to you." Sanji muttered, Zoro nodding as if he had expected that response.

"Grab me a carton of eggs will you?" Sanji waved Zoro further down the isle, opening the cooler to grab a gallon of whole milk.

"Zoro! Thought I recognized you!" Sanji stiffened, slowly turning to face whoever was speaking to the Marimo.

Was it a Marine?

The sight he was met with, confused him even more. Two men were sauntering out of a nearby isle and heading straight toward a passive Zoro. The demon looked more irked than intimidated.

The brunette boldly pat Zoro's shoulder, freckled face stretched into a warm smile. His onyx eyes glittered with mirth, saggy hair occasionally sweeping over his forehead. He looked like a delinquent in his ripped jeans and band tank top, a silver dogtag looped around his neck.

"Ace." The swordsman quipped, nodding his head at Ace's companion. He was tall and blond, his hair making his head look not unlike a pineapple.

"...Marimo?" Sanji hesitantly approached, milk clenched in his hand. The trio all turned to look at him, Ace seemed to be fighting a smile.

" _Marimo!?_ Dude, that's gotta sting!" Ace clapped Zoro on the back, the swordsman looking less than accepting of the harsh love being given. Ace tilted his head, getting only one step toward Sanji in before Zoro's arm was flying out to block Ace's path. The pineapple headed blond tensed, tension immediately suffocating the air.

"Easy, Zoro. I won't hurt him." Ace assured, the thick bloodlust in the air dying down. Zoro let his arm bonelessly flop back to his side with a vague grunt, neither agreeing or disagreeing with Ace's statement.

"I'm Ace and this is my bonded, Marco. Nice to met you." Ace gestured to the pineapple man before holding his hand out, an offer.

"I'm Sanji." The chef took the last three steps with confidence he didn't truly feel, taking Ace's extended hand to firmly shake.

"It's been a few hundred years since I've seen Zoro this protective over his contract bound." Ace whispered, leaning in a bit as to avoid the Marimo catching the words. Sanji blinked owlishly, he hadn't really noticed.

"Wait...how long have you been _alive?"_ Sanji inquired; half curious, half wary of the reply. Ace scratched at his head, the thoughtful look on his face reminding Sanji of a puppy.

"Uh...a little over eight hundred years." Sanji's legs buckled, forcing him to swiftly grab onto the cart to steady himself. Zoro shot Ace an accusing look, the freckled male throwing up his hands to placate the exceptionally grouchy Marimo.

"H-How? Are you a-"

"-demon? Nope. Just cursed by a particularly nasty witch." Ace cut in, only adding to the chef's confusion.

" _Cursed?"_ Sanji repeated, like the word was an answer in itself.

"Yeah, ever heard or immortality? Was hit with it when I had a contract with Marco over there and now my soul is trapped in my body. Which means Marco can't leave me, we're stuck with each other for all eternity." Ace nodded to himself somberly, Sanji grasping for words.

"Isn't there some way to break the curse?" He questioned, not wanting to push but wanting to help.

"Nah, Marco killed the witch that cast it. The witch that curses you has to break the spell, magic rules suck huh?" Sanji bit his lip, bobbing his head in agreement. He could really go for a cigarette right about now, his hands growing more jittery with each passing minute.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it Sanji, Marco and I have come to terms with our predicament." Ace threw an arm over the chef's shoulders with a charming grin, prompting all of Sanji's worries to melt away for the time being.

"Ace, we'll be late at this rate." Marco glanced at his phone screen impatiently, cool amber/blue eyes boring into Ace.

"Gosh, such a worry wort." Ace snickered, patting Sanji head before slipping away to strut back to Marco's side.

"Uh...late for what?" Sanji blurted, a mischievous smirk quirking Ace's lips up. He looked dangerously attractive with that devious expression, eyes darkening in color.

"I have a play date with my little brother." With that odd information dumped onto Sanji, Ace spun on his heel to follow Marco into a random isle. The two were quickly out of view, leaving an immensely baffled chef behind.

"He's a fruitcake, that one." Zoro snorted, carefully taking the milk gallon that was _still_ in Sanji's grip; the dairy product finally getting placed into the cart. Sanji stared at the isle they disappeared into for a moment or two longer before numbly nodding in agreement, that Ace guy seemed like quite a riot.

He didn't know what to make of the pair yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I realize it's been quite a while since I've updated any of my stories. Figured it was time to get back to work, I planned out what I would like to happen in future chapters...so we'll see where this goes. A huge thank you for all of those who support me and my writing, I'm working on improving my skills as a writer and you all have helped me by reading my stories and giving your wonderful feedback. I'm always happy to hear from people! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji spends some quality time with Braxton and his wife.

"Why the hell do I have so much shit to carry?" Zoro grumbled, brows pinched into a scowl. Sanji glanced behind himself at the Swordsman as they trudged up the apartment stairs, two bags of his own clenched in his pale grip.

"You're-more physically equipped to handle it." Zoro caught Sanji's pause, eye narrowing. His unnervingly sharp teeth grit together, Zoro's fingers tightening on his load of groceries.

"I'm a demon, that's the only fucking reason dartboard." Sanji rolled his eyes with a huff, shifting the bag so he could grab the keys to his appartment door.

"Yeah, like I said. You're the perfect pack mule." Zoro made a strangled sound that could only be described as rage, Sanji slipping into his living area as soon as the lock clicked. The Marimo stomping in after him, making a straight beeline for the kitchen to deposit his numerous bags onto the floor with more care than the blond thought him capable of.

"Fuck you." And there's goes any hope of Sanji thanking the asshole. He scowled at the Marimo, who dug out his booze and retreated to the couch. Surprisingly, Zoro plopped down on the floor in front of it, resting his elbow onto the coffee table. He unscrewed the lid and set it aside, taking a large swig with a small sigh of content.

Sanji glanced at Zoro every few minutes as he put the groceries away. The Marimo looked comfortable, but the blond couldn't fathom why Zoro wouldn't just sit on the sofa. It might've had something to do with his previous contract holders, but Sanji didn't want to think about what kind of abuse the swordsman might have been subjected to.

"Oi, did you know that when your thinking about something horrible you have this ugly expression on your face? Plus, I can feel those negative emotions radiating off you in waves." Sanji jolted at the sudden sound of Zoro's voice. The blond bared his teeth half-heartedly, not as offended as he should be.

"Who're you calling ugly? Obviously you haven't looked in a mirror recently." Sanji hissed, thrusting the milk into the fridge with more force than strictly necessary. Zoro scoffed, but didn't retaliate with another comment. The Marimo stared at Sanji as the blond finished up his task, the chef trying to ignore the disturbingly familiar feeling of being watched.

"I'm probably gonna be back late, so don't wait up for me." Sanji's gaze flickered over to the Marimo, observing how the demon paused.

"You're going alone?" Was his reply, the blonde's brow furrowing.

"Well yeah, you weren't invited." Zoro's mouth twitched into a sneer and Sanji back tracked, he wasn't trying to start a fight.

"I've known them since I was a teen, I'll be fine." The chef schooled his voice into something less aggressive, it seemed to do the trick because the tension in the Marimo's shoulders seeped out. Sanji filed it away for later analysis as he collected the supplies to make Braxton his fucking casserole.

"Call for me if anything happens. If not, I'll be here." If Zoro was to ever ask, Sanji would vehemently deny the warm mushy feeling that warmed his chest at Zoro's words. Coming home to find you weren't alone was a nice thought, even if it was to a mannerless mosshead.

As the casserole baked in the oven, Sanji buried those emotions with an icy resolve. He can't _like_ Zoro, not even a little. Knowing the Marimo, he'd take it the wrong way and their fragile friendship would shatter.

The swordsman silently watched Sanji flutter about the kitchen, covering his cooling casserole with tinfoil before rushing around to grab his coat and wallet. The blond gracefully pulled on the jacket and buttoned it up while simultaneously stuffing his wallet into his back pocket. The chef had changed into a more casual outfit consisting of dark jeans and a burgandy dress shirt.

"Don't break my shit." Zoro clicked his tongue in annoyance, flipping the blond the bird as Sanji hurried out the door. The chef shot one last smirk at the demon before softly shutting the door, securely locking it before practically galloping down the stairs. The blond paused on the bottom step, glancing back up the staircase with an odd ache in his chest. He shook his head to rid himself of any second thoughts, pushing out the front doors to hurry off.

¤¤¤

"Hey buddy! I was beginning to think you stood me up!" Braxton winked at the blond, the less-than-appropriate greeting making Sanji want to turn on his heel and stalk back down the street toward home. Instead, he just glared flatly at his friend, casserole clenched in his grip.

"Come on in, Jazzy's excited to see you." Sanji's glower melted away as Braxton brought up his lovely wife, the woman was the complete opposite of Braxton in many ways.

Not to mention she held the power of being able to calm Braxton the fuck down in any given situation.

She was truly a marvel.

"Is he here!?" She stepped out into the hallway from the dining room, inky black hair braided and her emerald green eyes sparkling. She wore jeans with a beautiful patterned tank top, a frilly navy blue apron secured to her front. She darted forward and wrapped the blond up in a quick hug, mindful of the casserole Sanji still held.

"I'll take that buttercup, make yourself at home." And with that incredibly warm welcome, she scurried back into the kitchen to heat the casserole up. Sanji listened to her bustle around the room for a minute, letting the soothing feeling of _home_ wash over him. Braxton and Jazzy's place had always felt like safety to him, vivid memories of all the good and bad times caused Sanji to get all choked up for a second.

"I'm starting to think you're her favorite." Braxton pouted, crossing his arms. It completely shattered his vulnerable moment, but the utter ridiculousness of the statement had Sanji bursting into laughter.

"She married _you_ , idiot." The blond spluttered, wheezing at the dramatic gasp he got in return. Braxton slapped a hand to his chest, eyes full of mischief even as his lip wobbled.

"Only because you're _gay_. She settled man, I'm second place." He whined; Sanji only braced his hands on his knees, his lungs kicking at his chest. Shaking his head at unbelievable hilarity that was Braxton.

"That would make you _sloppy seconds!"_ Sanji howled, easily dodging the playful punch Braxton swung at him. Jazzy poked her head out into the hallway when the commotion caught her attention, smiling softly at the two men.

"Come on you two, time to eat!" Jazzy called, beckoning the duo forward with the wave of her hand. Sanji calmed himself, sucking in deep breaths with the occasional chuckle. Braxton looked quite smug with himself as they all sat down at the table, the guy cracking open a beer to chug. The blonde's lip twitched up into a disapproving sneer at the barbaric display.

"Have some class, fuckmunch." Sanji slammed his heel down onto Braxton's foot, his poor victim choking on his alcoholic beverage. Braxton managed to swallow his mouthful of beer before going into a coughing fit, Jazzy smirking behind her wine glass.

"Lay off man, not all men have sticks up their asses." Braxton shot off, jerking his foot back as the blond aggressively stomped his heel down for a second time. Apparently the moron had learned, not that it would help him. Sanji just changed tactics, shoving his foot into Braxton's crotch. Said man let out a high-pitched sound, forehead hitting the table as he hunch over in an attempt to curl into himself.

"So sorry, what was that you were saying?" Sanji cupped a hand behind his ear and leaned forward, taking delight in the sound of Jazzy's suppressed giggles. Braxton shot a string of curses and insults the chef's way, who was as cool as a cucumber despite the onslaught of vulgar words.

"Braxton, that is not appropriate dinner conversation." Jazzy scolded, grinning at her husband in clear amusement. Braxton's mouth snapped shut with an audible click, a small whimper sliding past his lips.

"You guys are ganging up on me." He let loose a dramatic sob, still cupping his hurting bits. Sanji decided to show some mercy and let the man scrape his dignity back together, turning to smile at Jazzy.

"So how have you been?" Jazzy gulped down the rest of her wine before answering, the blond patiently waiting.

"I'm good, work is steady and all the bills are paid." Sanji nodded, glad that things were going her way. The chef finished his beer, setting the empty can aside.

"Braxton tells me you have a friend?" Jazzy's eyes sharpened, staring Sanji down. The blond heard a sharp bark of laughter from the snitch himself and shot a glare at Braxton.

"Yeah, we're _just_ friends." Sanji pressed, Jazzy hummed but didn't look convinced. Instead of prying further, she stood with a flourish.

"The casserole should be all nice and warm, want me to grab you another beer?" Jazzy, pulled off her apron and smoothed down her clothes. She gave Sanji an expectant look when he didn't immediately respond.

"Sure. Thank you Jazzy, such an angel." Sanji cooed and Jazzy waved a hand at him, disappearing into the kitchen.

¤¤¤

"Come on buddy." Braxton hualed a mumbling Sanji out of the passenger seat, the blond sagging heavily against him. Braxton sighed, holding the blond against him tightly. Sanji burped at the movement, Braxton freezing in fear of his shoes. Once it was clear the chef wasn't going to blow chunks, Braxton started guiding them both toward the front doors to Sanji's apartment building.

"Knew I shouldn't have let you have those last three beers." Braxton groused, expertly unlocking the door with his free hand. He lugged a limp Sanji inside and frowned deeply at the staircase, glancing over at the roped-off elevator with a glower.

"You seriously owe me." Braxton muttered, patting Sanji's head when the blond grumbled incoherently in response. With one last defeated look at the elevator, Braxton began to climb the stairs.

It was slow going, but Braxton eventually made it to Sanji's apartment door. The elder man sighed in relief, looking through the chef's keyring to find the correct one. His eyes brightened when he found the one he was looking for, pushing it into the lock to awkwardly turn the key until he heard a click.

Braxton's brows furrowed when he heard shuffling from inside, footsteps thundering toward the door. The elder man broke out into a cold sweat when the door separating him from whoever was inside was practically thrown open. A furious burning red eye locked onto Braxton's pale-face, leeching all bravery from the male.

"RoRo!" Sanji broke the spell with a childish squeal, throwing himself at Zoro. The intimidating green-haired man broke eye-contact, catching Sanji as the chef just about tripped into his arms.

"I-uh...totally forgot you two were living together." Braxton chuckled nervously, relieved that Zoro had shifted that intense stare off of him. The marmino maneuvered the blond until Zoro was partially in front of him, like a human shield. His other hand was on the door, it looked as if Zoro were fully prepared to slam it in Braxton's face if the situation called for it.

"Do you...uh...need help?" Braxton shifted from foot to foot, not really willing to leave a vulnerable Sanji with a guy he'd only met once. Zoro heaved Sanji up onto his hip. The blonde's legs hanging limply three inches off the floor. Braxton pressed his lips together in a thin line, begrudgingly impressed by the man's show of strength.

"I got him." Braxton jolted when Zoro spoke, his voice deep and oddly smooth. Sanji's head was resting on the Marino's wide shoulder, arms loosely wrapped around Zoro's neck.

"Alright...have him call me in the morning, yeah?" Braxton leveled the other male with a stern expression, trying to determine whether or not Zoro could be trusted with his friend. The Marimo watched Braxton with the gaze of a predator, like a beast that was giving his prey a false sense of security before inevitably striking.

The look sent chills up Braxton's spine.

"I'll tell him. Goodnight." And with that, the conversation was over. Zoro shutting the door with a resounding bang that sounded like a death sentence, the faint clicking of the lock echoing deafeningly loud in his ears. Braxton spun on his heel and rushed down the steps, taking them two at a time. He was panting for breath, but not because he was running. His mind turned over the strained conversation in his head, leaving him wondering if he'd made the right choice.

And when he pushed out the front doors, he was praying to whatever God was out there that he didn't make the wrong one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this took forever to write. I have my next few chapters planned out, so the next few chapters should come along more smoothly. Huge thanks to all of you that support me! As always, don't forget to Read & Review! Stay weird my lovelies!
> 
> Tibby out!


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